MUHAMMAD LATIF vs Hakim NISAR AHMED And Other
This petition for leave to appeal arises from an eviction order against a tenant, Muhammad Latif, initiated by the landlord, Hakim Nisar Ahmed, on grounds of personal requirement for his son, unauthorized subletting, and default in rent payment. The Rent Controller ordered eviction based on personal requirement and unauthorized subletting. The Additional District Judge upheld the eviction solely on the ground of personal requirement, a decision subsequently affirmed by the Lahore High Court. Before the Supreme Court, the petitioner argued that the ejectment application was incompetent because another shop owned by the landlord had become vacant prior to the filing of the application, rendering the current eviction unnecessary. The Supreme Court rejected this contention, holding that it is the prerogative of the landlord, not the tenant, to determine which premises are suitable for the specific trade or business intended for their family member. Finding no merit in the petition, the Court dismissed the appeal, affirming that the landlord has the discretion to choose the property best suited for their bona fide requirement.
- Can a tenant dictate which of a landlord's properties should be used to satisfy the landlord's personal requirement?
- Is a landlord's ejectment application incompetent if another property owned by the landlord becomes vacant before the application is filed?
ORDER
1. ABDUL KADIR SHAIKH, J.--This petition arises out of an application filed by Hakim Nisar Ahmed, first respondent, against petitioner and the second respondent on the ground that he required the demised shop for use of his son, and the tenant, namely, petitioner, had not only sublet the premises unauthorisedly to the second respondent but was also guilty of default in payment of rent.
2. The Rent Controller who dealt with the case accepted only the first two pleas of the respondent, and not the third, and directed petitioner's eviction. Petitioner's appeal against the order of the Rent Controller was dismissed by the Additional District Judge, Jhang who, however, upheld the order of the Rent Controller only on the ground that the landlord had satisfactorily proved that he required the shop for the use of his son. Petitioner's Second Appeal was dismissed by Lahore High Court, and he now seeks leave to appeal.
3. Learned counsel appearing in support of the petitioner for leave to appeal submits that -the High Court has failed to appreciate that another shop belonging to the landlord had fallen vacant before the ejectment application was filed which was sufficient for the requirement of landlord's son, and the ejectment application was thus incompetent.
4. We find that this plea has been already examined by the High Court and rejected on proper and valid grounds. In any case, it was for the landlord to choose the premises suitable for the requirement of the trade or business which his son wished to carry on, and not for the tenant to, dictate to him the choice in this regard.
5. On having gone through the record of the case, we find no merit in this petition it is dismissed.
Cited by 4 cases
- SAEED MUHAMMAD vs MEHRULLAH and another 1996 PLD Quetta 48
- GHULAM SABIR vs ABDUL RASHID KHAN 1995 PLD Peshawar 9
- ALI KHAN SUBHOPOTO vs SECRETARY, ESTABLISHMENT DIVISION, ISLAMABAD 1994 PLC (C.S.) 30
- MANSOORUL HAQ Versus AKBAR ALI 1994 CLC 48