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1983 CLC 2613

ALL PAKISTAN WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION, HYDERABAD vs MUHAMMAD ALEEM

Citation1983 CLC 2613
CourtSindh High Court
Judge(s)k.A Ghani
ResultPetition dismissed

' The facts of this case are that the respondent No, 1 Muhammad Aleem son of Mazhar Aleem predecessor of respondents Nos. 1 (a) to 1 (e) was the allottee of Quarter No, 2, Unit No, 6, Shah Latifabad, Hyderabad, which allotment was made by the Order of the Commissioner, Hyderabad, under his letter No, 0-2-259-1 (Rev.)-/66, dated 3rd January, 1967. The allotting authority has not disputed full payment of the price of the said quarter.

' Subsequently, it appears that due to suspicion that the said allotment was likely to be cancelled wrongfully, the said Muhammad Aleem filed first class suit No, 215/65 in the Court of Civil Judge, Hyderabad. However, on receipt of the summons, a statement was made in writing by the District Government Pleader on behalf of (1) the erstwhile Government of West Pakistan, (2) Deputy Commissioner and (3) Chairman, Administrative Committee Shah Latifabad, Hyderabad, the following effects :- "It is submitted that the said quarter has been allotted to Aleem, the plaintiff.

' The Secretary, Administrative Committee, Shah Latifabad, has given show-cause notice to APWA who is in possession of the said quarter to vacate the same, and deliver to the plaintiff.

' Hence it is submitted that the plaintiff has no cause of action to file this suit."

' In view of the above statement Muhammad Aleem the plaintiff in that suit, withdrew his said suit on 6th March, 1970, with permission to refile the suit whenever the cause of action arose. In view of these statements of the parties, the learned Civil Judge disposed of the said suit No, 215/65 by order passed on 26th March, 1970 which reads as follows :- "Heard Mr. Muhammad Qamar for the plaintiff. The suit stands withdrawn. He is permitted to file fresh suit if the cause of action accrues to him."

2. In spite of the statement filed in suit No, 215/65 and the passing of the above order, the plaintiff was served with the notice dated 22nd September, 1971 by the defendant No, 3 Respondent No, 4 informing him that the Commissioner, Hyderabad, had transferred his quarter No, 2/A in the name of APWA and that he, however, would be compensated by an allotment of a plot or quarter whichever is available "in lieu".

3. This resulted in filing of the suit (F. C. Suit No, 273/71) by the plaintiff (Respondent No, 1) against the respondents Nos. 2 to 4 wherein the following reliefs were claimed :- '(a) Declare that the order No, DHO/SAC/2831/71, dated 22nd September, 1971 issued by defendant No, 3 is illegal, void and without jurisdiction and this has no force in the eye of law, and that the plaintiff is lawful allottee of quarter No, S/A. Unit No, 6, Latifabad, Hyderabad and the allotment in question is not liable to cancellation except in terms of the allotment.

(b) Grant permanent injunction restraining the defendants personally or through their agents, servants or subordinates, in any manner whatsoever directly or indirectly from implementing the order No, DHO/SAC/2831/71, dated 22nd September, 1971 or in any manner interfering in the rights of the plaintiff except in due course of law.

(c) To grant cost of the suit to the plaintiff."

4. The defendants did not contest the suit and the plaintiff filed his affidavit in 'ix parte proof. The learned trial Court however examined one Mr. Lftikhar Ahmed a clerk in the office of the Respondent No, 4 as a Court witness. This witness in his evidence, in answer to the Court question produced certificate of payments made by the plaintiff as Exh.

19. He also produced the original entry in the Allotment Register, which was seen and returned, but a copy thereof was kept on record as Exh.

20. It was admitted by said witness that the Secretary, Administrative Committee Shah Latifabad had not given any show-cause notice at the time of cancellation of the allotment to the plaintiff and that the plaintiff had not violated any of the terms and conditions of the allotment order.

5. The learned trial Court having come to the conclusion on evidence record that the plaintiff had acquired a right in the suit property after the same was allotted to him and for which he has paid full instalments and that the allotment order did not provide for the unilateral cancellation of the quarter as was done in the present case, by judgment passed on 15th April, 1974, decreed the plaintiffs suit as prayed.

6. Thereafter on 26th May, 1975, Secretary of the Administrative Committee, Shah Latifabad, Hyderabad informed the applicants that on the direction of the Government of Sind given on 26th April, 1975 for implementing the order passed by the learned Civil Judge in Suit No, 273 of 1971, the subsequent allotment order No, 2 dated 22nd September, 1971, made in favour of Secretary, APWA Branch, Hyderabad for Quarter No, 2/A-VI, Latifabad, was thereby withdrawn.

7. The applicant instead of taking any proceedings against the order of cancellation of their allotment, filed Civil Appeal No, 120 of 1975 in the Court of District Judge, Hyderabad on 18th June, 1975 against the Judgment and decree passed by the learned Civil Judge in F. C. Suit No, 273 of 1971 on 15th April, 1974. Copies of the Judgment and decree were applied for on 17th June, 1975 and the same were delivered to the appellant on the same date. The appeal was presented on 18th June, 1975, beyond the period (30 days) prescribed under the Limitation Act. An application under section 5 of the Limitation Act was also filed but no order seems to have been passed on the same.

8. The explanation given in the affidavit filed in support of the application moved under section 5 of Limitation Act was that the appellants who were not parties to the suit, for the first time came to know of the passing of the decree on receipt of the letter dated 26th May, 1975 from the respondent No,

2. The learned counsel for the applicants conceded that the appeal filed by the applicants before the first appellate Court was barred by time but he contended that they were not parties to the suit and as such the delay in filing the appeal was liable to be condoned under section 5 of the Limitation Act. It would however be observed that though the applicants alleged to have come to know of the passing of the decree on 26th May, 1975, they for the first time applied for grant of certified copies of the judgment and decree of the trial Court on 17th June, 1975. Though the Civil Courts were closed from 1st June, 1975 on account of summer vacation there was however no justification for not to have applied for the copies forthwith and to file the appeal without loss of a single day. It has been time and again laid down by the superior Courts of this country that valuable rights having accured to a party, the said rights cannot be allowed to be taken away unless valid grounds are made out and delay of each day is satisfactorily explained. (1976 SCMR 102).

' In the present case in the affidavit filed in support of application made under section 5 of Limitation Act it is admitted that the appeal was being filed after acquiring knowledge of the judgment and decree on receipt of letter of 26th May, 1976 but there is not a single word showing any cause muchless sufficient cause for not filing the appeal forthwith.

' The appeal filed before the learned First Appellate Court was thus liable to be dismissed on this ground alone.

9. There is another factor which need be noted here. From the perusal of the record, we find that the allotment in favour of the applicants was cancelled, as far back as 26th May, 1975, of which intimation was given to them but no proceedings of whatsoever nature for challenging the said order were ever taken. The fact therefore emerges is that the applicants ceased to have any rights, title or interest in the quarter/property in question when they filed the appeal on 18th June, 1975 before the learned lower appellate Court.

' Mr. Jhamat the learned counsel however referred to the case of S. H. M. Saya v. Nazir Ali and submitted that the applicants though not party to the suit had a right of appeal against the judgment and decree passed by the trial Court. It may be noted here that against the above-cited judgment the appeal preferred before the Honourable Supreme Court was dismissed (PLD 1969 SC 65) and it was held therein that if the decree or order appealed from adversely affects a person he should be permitted to challenge the same in appeal even if he was not made a party to the original suit or proceedings. The principle laid down in the above case however did not justify the filing of the appeal by the applicants as much before the presentation of the appeal their allotment already stood cancelled. The petition is that till today, even after the lapse of more than six years, the said order of cancellation of allotment has remained unchallenged. The defendants (who are respondents Nos. 2 to 4 in this petition) also did not file any appeal. They instead, by a separate order, cancelled the allotment of the applicants. In the circumstances the applicants had no locus standi to file any appeal against the judgment and decree passed in favour of the respondent No, 1 against the respondents Nos. 2 to 4.

10. The learned trial Court on the evidence on record came to the conclusion that the plaintiff/respondent No, 1 acquired a right in the suit property after the same was allotted to him, for which he paid instalments and that the terms and conditions of the allotment did not provide for unilateral cancellation of the plaintiff's allotment.

' The first appellate Court, , while dismissing the appeal filed by the applicants, held that the further allotment of the property in the question in spite of the subsisting allotment of the plaintiff/Respondent No, 1 and without first legally cancelling the plaintiff's allotment amounted to double allotment, which was not permissible. It was further held that when the allotment was made in favour of the applicants, the quarter in question was not at all available for allotment to them.

The learned lower appellate Court also took notice of the fact that in the earlier suit (suit No, 215 of 1975) filed by the plaintiff/respondent No, I, statement was made on 6th March, 1970 on behalf of1 the concerned authorities wherein while admitting, that the quarter in question has been allotted to the plaintiff, it was stated that show cause notice had been given to APWA to vacate the said quarter and deliver its possession to the plaintiff. The learned First Appellate Court further held ;- ' Moreover even the aforesaid subsequent/double allotment in favour of the appellant it appears that keeping in view the principles of natural justice, has been withdrawn on 26th May, 1975 by the respondent No,

2. The appellant has as is evident, from the record, not at all challenged the said order recording the withdrawal of his allotment, before any competent authority. As such the same has become final. Thus this appeal has been filed by a person who had no locus stand! On 18th June, 1975, the date of the filing of this appeal for preferring the same to challenge the impugned judgment and decree passed by the Court below."

11. The learned counsel for the applicants has not been able to point out any impropriety, illegality or want of jurisdiction in the judgment passed by the learned Courts below. The allotment in favour of plaintiff/respondent No, 1 was made on 3rd January, 1967. He has already made full payment.

There is no valid reason to justify any interference by this Court in the exercise of its power under section 115, C. P. C.

12. Accordingly this petition is dismissed. There shall however be no order as to costs. PLD 1965 Kar. 603.

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