Messrs MANZOOR TEXTILE WORKS and another vs THE CHIEF SETTLEMENT
This matter arises from a petition for leave to appeal directed against the judgment of a Division Bench of the Lahore High Court, which had reversed the decision of a learned Single Judge and dismissed the petitioner's writ petition regarding a property dispute. The core legal question concerns whether a specific portion of the property, known as Piara Singh Workshop, was lawfully included in the auction and subsequent Permanent Transfer Deed (P.T.D.) issued to respondent M.M. Khalil, or whether it constituted a separate property. The Supreme Court of Pakistan held that the contention regarding the inclusion of the workshop in the auction requires detailed consideration by the court. Consequently, the court granted leave to appeal, ordered security to be furnished, and directed that the status quo shall continue to be maintained.
- Whether the Piara Singh Workshop portion was included in the property subject-matter of the auction held in favour of the respondent?
- Can separate allotments made by rehabilitation and settlement authorities be treated as distinct properties despite subsequent transfer deeds covering a larger area?
ORDER
' M.S.H. QURAISHI, J.-- The property situate on Khasra No, 1838 comprising an area of 45 Kanals 7 Marlas had been purchased jointly by Trikha Ram and the sons of Piara Singh in a Court auction.
Later a dispute arose between the joint owners which was resolved through arbitration in 1944, in the reault of which the share of the sons of Piara Singh was purchased by Musadi Mal and Moolchand, the sons of Trikha Ram. On 30-6-1946 a mutation was sanctioned in favour of the sons of Trikha Ram showing them as owners of the whole property. They were also shown as owners of the property in the Urban Immovable Property Tax record for the year 1946-47. After the Partition, however, the property came ender the occupation of different persons. On 21-7-1959 auction was held of the property known as "Trikha Ram Musadi Mall Cotton Ginning, Pressing and Oil Factory". In favour of M.M. Khalil respondent No, 4 and on his payment of the price, a P.T.D. Was issued in his name on 27-4-1964 for the whole area, that is, 45 Kanals 7 Marlas. The petitioner in whose favour a P.T.D. Had issued on 13-5-1960 for Piara Singh Workshop comprising 22 Kanals 13 Marlas, applied for amendment of the respondent's P.T.D. So as to exclude that area but failing before the Settlement authorities moved Writ Petition No, 1655/R of 1964 which was accepted by a learned Single Judge of the Lahore High Court on 9-2-1972 but the judgment was reversed on 1-3-1983 by a Division Bench of that Court in Letters Patent Appeal brought by respondent M.M. Khalil. The petitioner has, therefore, moved this petition for leave to appeal.
2. It is contended that what had been put to auction in the name of "Trikha Ram Musadi Mall Cotton Ginning, Pressing and Oil Factory" had actually been only the cotton factory portion of the property comprising an area of 22 Kanals 14 Marlas and that the Piara Singh Workshop portion of the property had not been the subject of that auction. In this connection it is submitted that the two portions had been right from the time of the partition, treated and dealt with by the Rehabilitation and Settlement authorities as separate properties, that the cotton factory portion had been before its auction, allotted to Messrs S.M. Yousaf while Piara Singh Workshop portion had been allotted to another party, namely, Ahmad Brothers, from whom the petitioner had succeeded.
3. After hearing learned counsel for the parties and going through the record of the Settlement Department, we find that the question whether Piara Singh Workshop had been included in the property subject-matter of the auction held on 21-7-1959 in favour of respondent M.M. Khalil requires consideration. Leave to appeal is, therefore, granted. Security shall be furnished in the sum of Rs, 3,000. Status quo shall continue to be maintained.