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Home » Judgments » Sindh High Court

A father’s physical custody is not, by itself, illegal detention

Mst. Tania Javed v. Province of Sindh and others Sindh High Court C.P. No. S-466 of 2026 2026 SHC HYD 1811 Decided Justice Zulfiqar Ali Sangi (Circuit Court Hyderabad)

Judgment at a glance

Legal issue
Can a mother recover her young children from their father through a High Court petition alleging that he is illegally detaining them?
Decision
No. The father is the children's admitted father, and his keeping them, in the absence of any court order declaring his custody unlawful, cannot by itself be called illegal detention warranting constitutional relief. Which parent should have custody, considering the children's welfare, age and upbringing, is for the Family Court after evidence. The petition was dismissed, leaving the mother free to apply there.
Key principle
A parent's custody of his or her own children, not declared unlawful by any competent court, is not 'illegal detention' for the purposes of Article 199; contested custody must be decided by the Family (Guardian) Court on evidence and the children's welfare.
Outcome
Dismissed
Relevant law
Constitution of Pakistan 1973, Art. 199
Why it matters
  • A mother cannot usually get her children back from their father through a High Court 'detention' petition; she must apply to the Family Court.
  • The Family Court decides custody on evidence, looking at the children's welfare, age and upbringing.

Cite as: Mst. Tania Javed v. Province of Sindh and others, 2026 SHC HYD 1811, Sindh High Court, C.P. No. S-466 of 2026, decided 21 September 2026

Facts

From the judgment

The mother of two children, aged about 4 and 3, said she was turned out of the matrimonial home in November 2025, after which the children stayed with their father. (para 1)

She asked the High Court to order the children produced and handed over to her, with police help, and to declare her entitled to custody under hizanat. (para 1)

The SHO filed comments and the father appeared in court with both children. (para 2)

Procedural history

From the judgment

  1. 21 September 2026C.P. No. S-466 of 2026 (production and custody of the children), Sindh High Court, Circuit Court HyderabadDismissed; mother free to seek custody before the competent court (para 5)

Questions of law

  1. Is a father's custody of his own children, not declared unlawful by any court, 'illegal detention' that the High Court can end under Article 199? Our framing

    The court's answer: No. It cannot by itself be termed illegal detention; the question of custody is for the competent Family Court. (para 4-5)

Arguments

From the judgment

Petitioner or appellant

The father's continued retention of the children after she was turned out of the home was unlawful; she sought their production and custody, police assistance, and a declaration that under hizanat she was entitled to keep them (para 1).

Court's reasoning

From the judgment

Not illegal detention

The dispute was about custody between parents. The father is admittedly the children's father, and his keeping them, without any competent court's order declaring that custody unlawful, cannot by itself be termed illegal detention so as to justify handing them to the mother under constitutional jurisdiction. (para 4)

The right forum

Which parent should have custody, having regard to the children's welfare, upbringing and age, is for the competent Family Court, deciding on evidence and the children's best interests. (para 4)

Result

The father's custody could not presently be called illegal merely on the allegations in the petition. The petition was dismissed, with liberty to the mother to seek custody before the competent court. (para 5)

Judicial observations

From the judgment

The court's exact words.

Respondent No.6 is admittedly the father of the minors and his keeping the minors in his custody, in the absence of any order of a competent Court declaring such custody unlawful, cannot by itself be termed as illegal detention so as to warrant exercise of constitutional jurisdiction for handing over custody to the petitioner.

Para 4

Case details

Case
Mst. Tania Javed v. Province of Sindh and others
Bench
Justice Zulfiqar Ali Sangi (Circuit Court Hyderabad)
Date of decision
Case number
C.P. No. S-466 of 2026
Citation
2026 SHC HYD 1811
Outcome
Dismissed
Statutes considered
Constitution of Pakistan 1973, Art. 199
Topics
Custody

Practical implications

Our analysis

For lawyers

  • Where children are with the other parent and no court order makes that custody unlawful, file for custody (and interim custody) in the Guardian Court rather than a detention petition.
  • A detention petition is better suited where there is an existing custody order being defied, or genuine risk to the child; plead those facts specifically.
  • In the Guardian Court, plead the children's ages, the hizanat position and welfare evidence, and ask for interim custody or visitation pending trial.

For everyone else

  • If your children are living with their other parent, the High Court will usually not treat that as 'illegal detention'. You need to apply for custody in the Family Court.
  • The Family Court will look at the children's welfare, ages and upbringing before deciding who keeps them.

General points drawn from this judgment, not advice on your own case.

Limits of this judgment

Our analysis

  • A short order; the Court made no finding on which parent should have custody or on the mother's hizanat claim.
  • Contrast C.P. No. S-982 of 2026 (Karachi), where the Sindh High Court gave provisional custody to a mother on the facts of that case.

Questions about this case

Can I file a High Court petition to get my children back from their father?

Usually not as 'illegal detention'. The Court held that a father's custody, not declared unlawful by any court, is not illegal detention; custody is for the Family Court (paras 4-5).

Where should a mother apply for custody?

The competent Family (Guardian) Court, which decides on evidence and the children's welfare (para 4).

Sources

Our saved copy
PDF, saved
How this summary was made
Summary from the full judgment
Official text read on
Note on the text
Heard and decided on 21 September 2026. The court's download address carries the citations '2026 SHC HYD 1811, 2026 SHC HYD 1812'; 1811 is shown here as the citation of this order.
Cite this summary
PK-Legal & Associates, "A father’s physical custody is not, by itself, illegal detention", summary of Mst. Tania Javed v. Province of Sindh and others, 2026 SHC HYD 1811, Sindh High Court, C.P. No. S-466 of 2026, decided 21 September 2026, https://pklegal.org/judgments/shc-2026-hyd-1811-father-custody/ (reviewed 3 November 2026).