MUHAMMAD GUL vs ANWAR GUL and others
This petition under Article 185(3) of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 arises out of a civil revision concerning a suit for partition of a jointly owned Haveli. The core legal question revolved around whether a suit for partition of a single property without including all joint properties constitutes an impermissible partial partition, and whether concurrent findings of fact could be disturbed in revisional jurisdiction. The Supreme Court held that no legal infirmity or misreading of evidence existed in the concurrent findings of the lower courts, and the High Court correctly exercised its revisional jurisdiction under section 115 of the Code of Civil Procedure 1908. The key principle laid down is that concurrent findings of fact cannot be disturbed in revisional jurisdiction through reappraisal of evidence unless a material defect of misreading or non-reading of evidence is established, and partial partition contentions must be supported by proper evidence evaluated by the lower forums.
- Whether a suit for partition of a single joint property is maintainable without including all jointly owned properties?
- Can the High Court reappraise evidence to disturb concurrent findings of fact in exercise of its revisional jurisdiction?
- What constitutes sufficient ground for the Supreme Court to interfere with concurrent judgments and decrees of lower courts in a property partition matter?
- Article 185(3), Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973
- Section 115, Code of Civil Procedure 1908
ORDER
' MUHAMMAD NAWAZ ABBASI, J.--- This petition under Article 185(3) of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 has been preferred against the judgment dated 23-7-2001 passed by learned Single Judge of Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi Bench, Rawalpindi in a civil revision arising out of a suit for partition.
2. The dispute between the parties related to a Haveli covering an area of 10 Marlas situated in Talagang District Attock which belonged to their common ancestor and was owned by them jointly. The suit filed by respondent for partition of Haveli, was resisted by the petitioner with the assertion that he was in possession of Haveli as exclusive owner as a result of private partition and that without asking for the partition of the total property jointly owned by the parties, the suit only for the partition of the Haveli in question would not be maintainable. However, the learned trial Judge passed a preliminary decree in the suit vide judgment dated 8-5-1999, which was further upheld in appeal by the Appellate Court vide judgment dated 3-5-2000. The petitioner assailed the concurrent judgment and decree passed by the two Courts before the Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi Bench in a civil revision and a learned Single Judge in chambers while affirming the judgment and decree dismissed the civil revision. The learned counsel for the petitioner has argued that the learned Single Judge in the High Court having not discussed the evidence brought by the parties on record has failed to pass a proper judgment in the revision petition and consequently a serious prejudice was caused to the petitioner in the matter of determination of his right in the property. The main ground urged by the learned counsel for the petitioner in support of this petition is that there was sufficient evidence available on record in proof of the fact that non- inclusion of all the joint properties in the suit would make it a suit for partial partition which being the pivotal question in the case was not properly attended at any stage.
3. We having gone through the record with the help of learned counsel for the petitioner have not been able to find out any defect of misreading or non-reading of evidence by the Court of first instance and the Appellate Court or an error in exercise of the revisional jurisdiction by the High Court in the matter to justify the interference of this Court. The learned counsel for the petitioner has not been able to show us from A the record any legal infirmity in the concurrent findings of fact to bring the case within the scope of section 115, C.P.C. And convince us that the High Court can disturb the findings of fact in its revisional jurisdiction even through appraisal of evidence. The judgment impugned before us is well-reasoned and we having found no substantial question of law involved in the present case for consideration of this Court dismiss this petition. Leave is refused.
Cited by 1 case
- MUHAMMAD ISHAQ and anothers vs Mst. ANIQA BATOOL 2012 PLD Balochistan 133