MUHAMMAD ISHAQ Versus FALAK SHER
This matter involves five review petitions directed against a common judgment of the Supreme Court of Pakistan arising from connected civil appeals. The core legal question addressed is whether grounds for review are established based on alleged factual errors and omitted documents in the impugned judgment. The Supreme Court held that the review petitions are without merit, observing that the alleged document relied upon by the petitioners was not traceable on the record nor tendered in evidence below, and that the petitioners were attempting to set up a new factual case not pleaded in the lower courts, which is impermissible in review. The key principle laid down is that review proceedings cannot be utilized to re-argue appeals afresh or to introduce new factual pleas and untraceable documents not previously part of the record.
- Can a party introduce a new factual case or plea for the first time in review proceedings?
- Whether review proceedings can be used to re-argue appeals afresh?
- Is a review petition maintainable based on a document that is not traceable on the record and was not tendered in evidence before the trial court?
ORDER
ZAFFAR HUSSAIN MIRZA, J. ‑‑These are five review petitions directed against the common judgment dated 29th October, 1986, in connected Civil Appeals Nos.330/83, 331/81, 332/83, 333/81 and 334/83 As a common argument was addressed by the learned counsel we propose to dispose of these petitions by this common order.
2. We have heard the learned counsel at length and considered his arguments. His main grievance is that the case of the petitioners (defendants in the suits) was not considered in the impugned judgments as their documents have not been referred to nor the arguments based thereon. In this connection learned counsel has referred to the following passage of the impugned judgment:‑
"The appellants, on coming to know about these transfers moved the competent authorities in the Settlement Department and obtained orders that the PTO and PTD issued in favour of the respondents be cancelled vide order dated 15th November 1969. It was thereafter that no PTD or PTO had been issued in respect of units Nos.2257 and 2258, but such documents issued in respect of units Nos.2259 and 2260 were cancelled vide Deputy Settlement Commissioner, Multan's Letter No.3352‑54/Miscellaneous, dated 18th December, 1969, addressed to the transferees of property units Nos.2259 and 2260 in which it was stated that these units were situated on khasra No.610 which has been declared as non‑evacuee property."
According to the learned counsel Deputy Settlement Commissioner's letter dated 18th December, 1969, referred to in the passage quoted above was rendered ineffective as the Custodian by his order dated 1st January, 1970, had withdrawn his earlier letter dated 15th November, 1969, by which the transfers in favour of the petitioners were cancelled. Counsel submitted that this is a factual error apparent on the record. The argument is wholly baseless. In the first place the so‑called letter of the Custodian dated 1st January, 1970, is not traceable on the record of these petitions. We have tried to locate it in the consolidated paper books of documents filed by the petitioners but it finds no place therein. We are not aware as to whether this document was tendered in evidence before the trial Court and learned counsel was unable to satisfy us on this point. A careful perusal of the judgments of the three Courts below reveals that no reference has been made to this document. The other point urged by the learned counsel was that the properties in occupation of the petitioners are actually situated on khasra No.610/1 which is admittedly evacuee property as held by various Authorities in the Custodian and Settlement Departments. This is a wholly new case being set up as such plea has not been raised in any of the Courts below or at the time of the hearing of the appeal. It is not permissible for the petitioners to set up a new case in the review petitions. The case was all along fought by the petitioners on the basis that the plaintiffs were entitled only to a portion of khasra No.610 which bears the Excise Department No.2261 and not the entire khasra No.610. In any case what is being sought in these review petitions is a re-argument of the appeals afresh which is outside the scope of review proceedings.
3. After having considered the submissions of the learned counsel we find no ground to review the impugned judgment in these petitions. All the review petitions are accordingly dismissed.
M.I./M‑354/S Petitions dismissed.
Cited by 2 cases
- Mst. ZEENATUNNISA vs DEPUTY COMMISSIONER and others 2014 YLR 2460
- AZIZ-UD-DIN QURESHI vs REHMATULLAH ZIA and 6 others 1991 PLC (C.S.) 135