Pakistan Case Law
1979 SCMR 241

WAHAJUDDIN AND Another vs RAZIA BEGUM Etc.

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Citation1979 SCMR 241
CourtSupreme Court of Pakistan
Case No.Civil Review Petitions Nos. 32-R and 33-R of 1976 C. A. Nos. 157, 161 and 283
Date1978-05-14
Judge(s)Qaisar Khan, Muhammad Haleem and Karam Elahee Chauhan
Authored byKaram Elahee Chauhan
ResultPetitions dismissed
AI Summary — generated from this judgment; read the full text below and verify before relying on it.

This civil review petition arises from a common judgment and order of the Supreme Court of Pakistan disposing of three civil appeals concerning the transfer of a disputed house. The petitioners sought review of the judgment maintaining the transfer of the entire house to the respondent after the Settlement Authorities found the property to be indivisible. The petitioners contended that a Deputy Settlement Commissioner had reviewed an order of his predecessor without obtaining prior permission from the Additional Settlement Commissioner, an aspect allegedly escaping attention during the appeal. The Court held that factual controversies not argued during the original hearing and seemingly abandoned cannot serve as grounds to invoke review jurisdiction, particularly when no case is made out within the confines of the applicable procedural provisions. The Supreme Court dismissed the review petitions in limine, reaffirming that failure to press a point at the appellate stage precludes its agitation in review.

Questions settled in this judgment
  • Can a factual controversy not argued during the original appeal be raised as a ground in a review petition?
  • Whether review jurisdiction can be invoked on a point abandoned or not pressed during the hearing of earlier appeals?
  • Does an order passed by a Deputy Settlement Commissioner without prior permission of the Additional Settlement Commissioner warrant review when the point was never urged at the appellate stage?
Laws & provisions referred
  • Order XLVII Rule 1, Code of Civil Procedure 1908
civil reviewsettlement authoritiestransfer of propertyindivisible propertyreview jurisdictiondismissal in limine

ORDER

KARAM ELAHEE CHAUHAN, J.-(i) Civil Appeal No. 157 of 1970, titled Wahajuddin and Masood Ahmad v. Mst. Razia Begum etc., (ii) Civil Appeal No. 161 of 1970, titled Mehr Khan v. Mst. Razia Begum and another and (iii) Civil Appeal No. 283 of 1970, titled Mst. Razia Begum v. Wahajuddin and others were disposed of by a common judgment and order of this Court dated 1-6-1978 as a result whereof the first two appeals were dismissed but the third appeal was accepted in terms of the said order.

2. Wahajuddin and Masood Ahmad appellants in Civil Appeal No. 157 of 1970 have filed a Review Petition being Civil Review Petition No. 32-R of 1976, whereas Mehr Khan appellant in Civil Appeal No. 161 of 1970 has filed Civil Review Petition No. 33-R of 1976 for review of the aforesaid judgment and order dated 1-6-1976. The present order will dispose of both these review petitions.

3. The petitioners claimed transfer of a portion of the house which was subject-matter of dispute between the parties. In the earlier judgment and order of this Court, it was held that the finding of the relevant Settlement Authorities that the house was indivisible could not be interfered with, with the result that the transfer of the whole house to Mst. Razia Begum was well maintained and perfectly justified. This finding still holds the field and nothing has been pointed to persuade this Court to change the aforesaid factual finding in these review petitions. Learned counsel wanted to argue that one of the relevant orders in the case was of a Deputy Settlement Commissioner, who had, according to him, reviewed an order of his predecessor without obtaining a prior permission of his superior namely the Additional Settlement Commissioner and that this aspect of the matter escaped attention of this Court while examining the ultimate orders passed by the Settlement Authorities concerned. The factual finding of the various Settlement Authorities on this aspect of -- the matter was conflicting and it appears that the point was not argued before this Court during the hearing of the appeals and as such the aforesaid factual controversy can hardly be a ground to invoke review jurisdiction of this Court especially when it appears to have been abandoned and not pressed during the hearing of the earlier appeals. Learned counsel has not been able to make out any case or raise any ground within the provisions of Order XLVII, rule 1, C. P. C., warranting any review. The petitions have no merit and are dismissed in limine.

Cited by 4 cases

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