SAID WALI vs AHMAD SAEED AND 5 Other
This matter arises from a dispute regarding the use of a lane onto which the petitioner, Said Wali, opened a new entrance after closing his original entrance from the bazar. The respondents, Ahmad Saeed and Hazrat Shah, filed a suit for permanent injunction restraining the petitioner from using the lane. The trial court and the first appellate court dismissed the suit as barred by time. However, the High Court accepted the appeal, holding that the use of the lane constituted a continuing wrong, thereby giving rise to a fresh cause of action with each use, rendering the suit within time. The core legal question concerns whether the unauthorized opening of a door and use of a private or common lane constitutes a continuing wrong for the purpose of limitation. The Supreme Court is petitioned to examine the correctness of the High Court's finding on limitation.
- Does the opening of a door leading into a disputed lane constitute a continuing wrong for the purpose of limitation?
- Whether every fresh use of a lane gives a plaintiff a new cause of action in a suit for permanent injunction?
ORDER
1. WAHIDUDDIN AHMAD, J.-The dispute in this case is about the use of a lane leading from the Bazar situated to the south of the houses of Ahmad Saeed and Hazrat Shah plaintiffs in village Yar Hussain of the Swabi Tehsil. To the east of this lane is situated the house of Said Wali petitioner. The allegation is that the entrance to the Said Wali petitioner was from the bazar side but he has closed that entrance and has made another entrance from the western side in the lane which leads to the houses of Ahmad Saeed and Hazrat Shah.
2. It appears that when Said Wali petitioner constructed the new entrance to his house and started using the lane, Hazrat Shah submitted an application to the Deputy Commissioner, Mardan, as Deputy Rehabilitation Commissioner, restraining Said Wali from using the lane. On the 28th May 1953, petitioner was restrained from using the lane and the Deputy Commissioner directed the A. S. I., Police Post Yar Hussain to close the door to the house of Said Wali Thereupon, petitioner instituted a suit in the Court of Assistant Custodian for a declaration that he had a right to use the lane which was dismissed on the 9th April 1955. On appeal, the Custodian, by order dated the 17th September 1956, remanded the case back to the Assistant Custodian. The Assistant Custodian again dismissed the suit of the petitioner on the 24th September 1959.
3. On the 26th November 1959, Hazrat Shah and others brought a suit against the petitioner for permanent injunction restraining him from using the lane and directing him to close the door which he had opened towards the lane for using it. The suit was dismissed as barred by time by the learned Civil Judge by order dated the 21st November 1961. The finding of the learned Civil Judge was also upheld by the Additional District Judge, Mardan, by judgment dated the 5th September 1962. The matter was then taken in the High Court. A learned Single Judge of the West Pakistan High Court, Peshawar Bench, by judgment dated the 28th January 1970, accepted the appeal on the ground that there was a continuing wrong and every fresh use of the lane gave the respondents a new cause of action and their suit instituted on the 26th November 1959, was perfectly within time.
4. This finding is challenged in this petition for special leave to appeal.
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