ABDUL HAMEED vs MANSUR MALIK AND 4 Other
This matter originated from an eviction petition filed by landlords against a tenant and the petitioner, Abdul Hameed, alleging rent default and unauthorized subletting. The petitioner contended that he possessed the premises in his own right and that, absent statutory notices under the Displaced Persons (Compensation and Rehabilitation) Act or the Rent Restriction Ordinance, no landlord-tenant relationship existed. The Rent Controller ordered eviction, but the Additional District Judge remanded the case for fresh evidence. The High Court set aside this remand order, holding that the appellate authority lacked the power under section 15(3) of the Rent Restriction Ordinance to remand the case for fresh evidence. The petitioner sought leave to appeal against the High Court's decision. The Supreme Court dismissed the petition, holding that the petitioner had no legitimate grievance as he had challenged the remand order himself. Furthermore, the High Court's order directed the appellate authority to conduct further inquiry, which sufficiently protected the petitioner's rights to lead evidence. The Court declined to exercise its discretionary jurisdiction under Article 185(3) of the Constitution.
- Does an appellate authority under the West Pakistan Urban Rent Restriction Ordinance 1959 possess the power to remand a case to the Rent Controller for the production of fresh evidence?
- Can a party who successfully challenges an appellate order in the High Court subsequently complain about the High Court's decision to remand the matter for further inquiry by the appellate authority itself?
- Section 30, Displaced Persons (Compensation and Rehabilitation) Act 1958
- Section 13-A, West Pakistan Urban Rent Restriction Ordinance 1959
- Section 15(3), West Pakistan Urban Rent Restriction Ordinance 1959
- Article 185(3), Constitution of Pakistan 1973
ORDER
1. FAKHRUDDIN G. EBRAHIM, J.-The facts giving rise to this leave petition are that respondents Mansoor Malik and Farid Malik sought eviction of the deceased tenant Sh. Ghulam Dastgir, predecessor-in---interest of respondents Mst. Iqbal Akhtar, Muhammad Amin and Mst. Kishwar Sultana, from a shop premises situated in Anarkali, Lahore, under the Rent Restriction Ordinance, on the grounds of default in payment of rent and subletting the premises unauthorizedly to the petitioner, who was impleaded as a respondent before the Rent Controller. The case of the petitioner Abdul Hameed was that he was in possession of the shop in his own right as on the date of transfer of the property in favour of the landlords' predecessor, and as no notice under section 30 of the Displaced Persons (Compensation and Rehabilitation) Act, or under section 13-A of the Rent Ordinance was given to him by the respondent---landlords, there was no relationship of landlord and tenant between the parties.
2. The learned Rent Controller made the order of eviction on 29-7-1975. In appeal, the learned Additional District Judge set aside the order of ejectment and remanded the case to the Rent Controller to decide the matter afresh, after allowing opportunity to the parties to produce evidence on the issues recast by the Appellate Court. This order was challenged in 1,1 second appeal before the High Court both by the petitioner and the landlords. The High Court has been pleased to set aside the order made by the learned Additional District Judge and directed him to bear the appeal afresh and dispose of the same in accordance with law, on the view that the first Appellate Court was under subsection (3) of section 15 of the Ordinance not empowered to frame issues and remand the case to the Controller for fresh decision in the light of the additional evidence which the parties may produce before him.
3. After hearing the learned counsel for the petitioner we are of the view that it is not a fit case for our interference, for the petitioner cannot be said to have any real grievance. It was the petitioner who had challenged the order made by the learned Additional District Judge and having succeeded though in terms not contended by him in the High Court, cannot now heard to complain about it.
4. Moreover, the net effect of the order made by the A High Court is to direct the Appellate Authority to make further inquiry personally, which will enable the petitioner to lead, if need be, further evidence before the First Appellate Court.
5. In the circumstances, we will be justified in refusing to exercise our discretionary jurisdiction under Article 185(3) of the Constitution, and this petition is accordingly dismissed._