Lahore High Court Orders First-Ever Appointment of Woman as Lambardar in Historic Ruling
LAHORE — The Lahore High Court has ordered the appointment of a woman as permanent Lambardar in a landmark ruling, declaring that no law in Pakistan disqualifies women from holding public office and that gender-based discrimination in village administration cannot be tolerated.
Justice Raheel Kamran Sheikh passed the historic judgment on a petition filed by Kalsoom Akhtar, a resident of Lodhran district who had been serving as Sarbarah Lambardar for more than 18 years since 2002. After her father's death, she applied for the permanent position and was initially placed at the top of the merit list by the assistant commissioner. However, the deputy commissioner reduced her merit score to zero based on her sub-community within the Gujjar tribe, effectively blocking her appointment.
The court declared the reasoning intrinsically self-defeating, observing that all major candidates for the position belonged to the same Gujjar community. The seven-page written order stated: "This Court cannot remain oblivious to the contemporary constitutional ethos of equality, inclusion and fair participation of women in public life. No provision of law has been shown which disentitles a woman from holding the office of Lumberdar."
The judge further emphasised that the office of Lambardar is a public responsibility based on merit and capability, not a hereditary entitlement. He highlighted Kalsoom Akhtar's extensive 18-year experience in rural administration and revenue collection matters as a strong qualification for the permanent role, noting that she has been efficiently performing her duties all these years.
Justice Kamran also observed that Allah Almighty has created men and women with different physical abilities, and their innate abilities and capacities are not always comparable. He said the Constitution guarantees equal rights to both genders, and women cannot be kept away from public office merely because of their gender. The court stated that such discrimination goes against the fundamental rights guaranteed in the Constitution.
The court directed the relevant revenue authorities to issue Kalsoom Akhtar's official appointment notification as permanent Lambardar within 30 days. The ruling is widely seen as a significant step towards promoting gender equality in Pakistan's rural governance system, where the position of village head has historically been held exclusively by men for centuries.
Legal experts have praised the judgment as a progressive interpretation of constitutional rights, noting that it sets a powerful precedent for women's participation in local governance across the country. The decision is expected to encourage more women to apply for Lambardar positions in their respective areas.
