The woman named Zub-un-nisa had been pursuing a protracted attempt to obtain her deceased father's pension as his sole heir, according to a post by Barrister Ambreen Qureshi. The woman died before her case was completed.
Pakistan's justice system has received criticism for the slow pace of proceedings. One study indicated that it takes between 20 to 30 years for a 'moderately complex civil case' to be resolved through Pakistan's courts.
In a similar case, it took two sisters nearly 40 years to rightfully claim inheritance of their father's property.
The woman's death in court also highlights the precarious nature of female litigants in Pakistan's predominantly male judicial system.
According to the 2021 Global Gender Gap Report by the World Economic Forum (WEF), Pakistan ranks 153rd out of 156 countries on gender inequality. The report cited that women in Pakistan do not have equal access to justice, equal ownership of land and non-financial assets, or equal inheritance rights.
In June, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice approved The Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights Bill 2019 (section 7), which aims to help women claim their due right of property ownership.
"The rights of ownership of women in inheritance are violated usually by their family members by means of coercion, fraud, fabrication, forgery and cheating, etc. It is therefore necessary to provide an effective and speedy redressal mechanism to protect and secure the rights of ownership of women in property," the bill read.