Federal ombudsman says marital status cannot be used to deny housing access to singles
ISLAMABAD:
The Federal Ombudsman for Protection from Harassment in Islamabad has declared housing restrictions imposed on bachelors and single individuals as “unlawful and unconstitutional.”
Federal Ombudsman Fauzia Waqar ruled that any policy that prevents individuals from renting a residential property is illegal. The decision came while dealing with a complaint filed by a woman who was denied a rental property solely on the basis of her single status.
According to the ombudsman’s findings, basic supplies such as electricity and water were deliberately cut off in an attempt to harass the female tenant.
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The judgment emphasized that marital status or gender cannot legally justify denying a person the right to rent a house.
The Ombudsman stated that such discriminatory restrictions violate fundamental constitutional principles, including equality, human dignity and the freedom of residence.
The observations have been formally circulated to federal and provincial authorities, rent controllers, housing regulators, local governments and all relevant stakeholders.
The complainant’s case has been resolved and the case has been formally decided.
