Miss HERA vs Mst. SHAHNAZ FARZANA and 2 others
This matter arose from a petition for leave to appeal under Article 185(3) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973, seeking to challenge the dismissal of a constitutional petition in limine by the High Court of Sindh. The core legal question was whether a constitutional petition could be maintained by a minor represented by a parent where orders of the Guardian Court directing the production and handover of custody of the minor had been consistently defied, and where an adequate alternate legal remedy had not been pursued. The Supreme Court held that the petition was properly dismissed because the petitioner's father had repeatedly flouted Guardian Court orders and attempted to evade compliance by filing the constitutional petition through the minor herself. The Court laid down the principle that a party seeking constitutional relief must approach the court with clean hands and must exhaust available statutory remedies before invoking the constitutional jurisdiction of the High Court.
- Is a constitutional petition maintainable when an adequate alternate remedy has not been exhausted?
- Can a litigant who has failed to comply with lawful orders of a court obtain relief under constitutional jurisdiction?
- Article 185(3), Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973
' NAZIM HUSSAIN SIDDIQUI, J.---Petitioner, Miss Hera, seeks leave to appeal under Article 185(3) of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan; against order dated 7-7-2000 of a learned Judge in Chamber, High Court of Sindh, Circuit Bench Hyderabad, whereby her Petition No,S-175 of 2000 was dismissed in limine.
2. The dispute is about custody of the petitioner. She was born in 1983 out of wed-lock of her father Shahzad Muhammad Siddique and mother Mst.Shahnaz. On 25-11-1986, respondent No,3, Shahzad Muhammad Siddique was directed by the Guardian Court to produce the petitioner in the Court, but said order was not complied with. It appears that, thereafter on several dates, said respondent was directed to produce petitioner before the Court and the respondent flouted those orders. Last time on 5-5-2000, the Guardian Court had again directed said respondent to comply with the order dated 13-11-1986, regarding production of the minor/petitioner before the Court, but, as usual, said order was not complied with. The respondent was also directed to hand over custody of the petitioner to her mother and this order was not implemented. On 1 6-5-2000, the petitioner filed the Petition No,S-175 of 2000 before High Court of Sindh, Circuit Bench, Hyderabad and challenged the validity of order dated 5-5-2000. The petition was dismissed by the order, which has been impugned in this petition.
3. High Court while disposing of the petition observed as follows:-- ' ...From the record it appears that the respondent No,3 is not prepared to handover the custody of minor to mother at any cost. The impugned order dated 5-5-2000 passed by Senior Civil and Family Judge in Guardianship Application No,80 of 1986 is proper and legal. The alternate remedy is available to petitioner but said order has not been challenged in appeal. Under these circumstances, this Constitutional petition cannot be maintained and is hereby dismissed in limine."
4. It appears that on one pre-text or the other, the father of the petitioner did not comply with the various orders of the Guardian Court. This time, in order to defy the same, he got filed this petition through minor/petitioner herself. The petitioner has not come to the Court with clean hands, nor availed the alternate remedy before approaching the High Court. The petition has no merits.
5. In consequence, leave to appeal is refused and the petition is dismissed.