Federal Ombudsman declares that marital status cannot be used to deny access to housing to single people
ISLAMABAD:
The Federal Ombudsman for Protection from Harassment in Islamabad said housing restrictions on bachelors and bachelors were “illegal and unconstitutional”.
Federal Ombudsman Fauzia Waqar has ruled that any policy preventing individuals from renting residential property is illegal. The decision was made as part of the review of a complaint filed by a woman who was denied a rental home solely because of her single status.
According to the ombudsman’s findings, basic utilities such as electricity and water were deliberately cut off in an attempt to harass the tenant.
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The decision emphasizes that marital status or gender cannot legally justify denying an individual the right to rent a home.
The ombudsman said such discriminatory restrictions violated fundamental constitutional principles, including equality, human dignity and freedom of residence.
The observations were formally disseminated to federal and provincial authorities, rent controllers, housing regulators, local governments and all relevant stakeholders.
The plaintiff’s case was resolved and the matter was officially settled.
