PROVINCE OF BALUCHISTAN vs Sardar MUHAMMAD USMAN KHAN JOGEZAI
This matter concerns a petition for review of a Supreme Court judgment that had previously dismissed the petitioner's civil petition for leave to appeal. The petitioner sought review on the basis that they had erroneously filed a petition for leave to appeal when an appeal as of right was competent under Article 185(2)(d) of the Constitution of Pakistan 1973. The Supreme Court dismissed the review petition on multiple grounds. First, the court noted that the review petition itself was time-barred by 35 days, with no cogent grounds provided for condonation. Second, the court held that the petitioner could not use the review jurisdiction to correct an omission by counsel who failed to raise the argument regarding the competency of an appeal as of right during the original hearing. Finally, the court observed that even if the review were entertained, the underlying appeal as of right had already become time-barred by 27 days before the initial petition was filed, meaning valuable rights had accrued to the opposite party, precluding any relief.
- Can a party seek review of a judgment on the ground that they erroneously filed a petition for leave to appeal instead of an appeal as of right?
- Is a review petition maintainable when the underlying appeal as of right is already time-barred?
- Can a party rely on the omission of their counsel to raise a specific legal argument as a ground for review?
- Article 185(2)(d), Constitution of Pakistan 1973
ORDER
1. ABDUL KADIR SHAIKH, J.--This is a petition for review of the judgment of this Court, dated 5-5-1986 by which a civil petition for leave to appeal filed by the petitioner from the judgment of the High Court, dated 4-11-1985 was dismissed. Review is sought on the ground that the petitioner had filed the civil petition for leave to appeal erroneously and as a matter of fact an appeal as of right against the impugned judgment of the High Court, dated 4-11-1985 was competent under Article 185(2)(d) of the Constitution.
2. Admittedly this petition for review is time-barred by 35 days and by the time petitioner filed the petition for leave to appeal in this Court the alleged appeal as of right under Article 185(2)(d) of the Constitution had itself been rendered as time-barred by 27 days. No cogent ground for the condonation of the delay of 35 days in the filing of the review petition is made out. Moreover, even if the delay were to be condoned, then also there is no error in the judgment of this Court, dated 5-5- 1986 which requires correction by review. It was open to the learned counsel for the petitioner at the hearing of the petition which was decided by the judgment, dated 5-5-1986 to point out that as a matter of fact an appeal as of right was competent. This was not done and for this omission on the part of the learned counsel for the petitioner. The petitioner cannot now seek relief by way of a review petition.
3. There is yet another hurdle in the way of the petitioner even if all the aforesaid points were to be ignored. It is that by the time the petitioner filed the petition for leave to appeal, the alleged appeal as of right against the judgment of the High Court, dated 4-11-1985 had admittedly been rendered as time barred by 27 days. Since precious rights had accrued to the opposite party for the lapses on the part of the petitioner, no case for the condonation of that delay is made out.