Federal Ombudsman says marital status cannot be used to deny access to housing to single people
ISLAMABAD:
The federal anti-harassment ombudsman in Islamabad has declared that housing restrictions imposed on singles and single people are “illegal and unconstitutional.”
Federal Ombudsman Fauzia Waqar ruled that any policy that prevents people from renting residential property is illegal. The decision was made while judging a complaint filed by a woman who was denied a rental home solely because she was single.
According to the Ombudsman’s findings, basic services such as electricity and water were deliberately disconnected in an attempt to harass the tenant.
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The ruling emphasized that marital status or gender cannot legally justify denying an individual the right to rent a home.
The Ombudsman stated that such discriminatory restrictions violate fundamental constitutional principles, including equality, human dignity and the freedom to reside.
The observations have been formally distributed to federal and provincial authorities, rent controllers, housing regulators, local governments and all relevant stakeholders.
The complainant’s matter has been resolved and the case has been formally resolved.
