There is no denying that wheels of justice move exceedingly slow. Not just in Pakistan but in almost every country and you know the famous saying, “justice delayed is justice denied”.
However, this time the delayed justice wasn’t really denied as Supreme Court of Pakistan has finally announced a verdict in a 100-year-old property case.
The Case and The Verdict
The case dates back to 1918 before the partition of subcontinent. It was brought to a court in Rajasthan, India in 1918 over a dispute of inheritance of 700 acres of land.
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The land is situated in Bahawalpur region of Pakistan. After the independence in 1947, the case was transferred to a trial court in Bahawalpur. Until 2005 the case was being heard in the trial court in Bahawalpur and couldn’t reach any conclusion. It was then taken up to Supreme Court of Pakistan where the decision was finally issued after a century.
The complainants in the case say that the land belonged to their elder Shahabuddin. Shahabuddin died in 1918 and that is when the dispute over inheritance of the land arose. The petitioners simply wanted the land to be split according to Islamic law but original complainant and most of his children are no longer among the living.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar headed the three-judge bench which announced the case’s verdict. The judge ordered that Islamic law will be followed in this case and property will be distributed among the living heirs accordingly. He further said that “The court will not deprive anyone of their legal share.”
