ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi instructed Islamabad’s Deputy Commissioner (DC) to return a 10-marla property to an elderly woman. The property, located in the Bara Kahu area, had been reportedly seized by land encroachers.
The President’s decision was in line with the orders of the Federal Ombudsman for Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace (FOSPAH).
He made this decision while reviewing a representation submitted by Malik Abdul Majeed and others against FOSPAH’s orders, as reported by the President Secretariat Press Wing.
Munawar Bibi, the complainant, lodged a complaint under the Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights Act, 2020. She claimed that Malik Abdul Majeed and Jawad Shoukat, the petitioners, were part of a land mafia and had unlawfully occupied her plot by constructing a boundary wall around it. FOSPAH ruled in her favour and instructed the DC of Islamabad to return the property to her.
The petitioners sought a review of the decision, which was dismissed on the basis that Munawar Bibi’s ownership of the property was confirmed. The property was transferred to her name through a registered sale deed in 1979, which was recorded in the revenue records.
FOSPAH ordered the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Bara Kahu police station to take necessary steps to return the property to Munawar Bibi, using all legal means, with the assistance of the local Patwari.
The petitioners then approached the president, asserting that they were the actual owners of the plot and that the land in question was not the same as the complainant’s. However, they claimed that FOSPAH had overlooked this fact.
The president dismissed the petitioners’ representation, noting that it was submitted one month and twenty-five days late, exceeding the 30-day limit from the receipt of the order.
He pointed out that the petitioners had not mentioned the date they received the orders, thus making their representation invalid due to the time limit.
The president stated that any issues regarding the correct identification of the property could be addressed during the implementation process. He concluded that the representation was not only late but also lacked merit, and he ordered the implementation of FOSPAH’s orders.
