MIAN NAZIR AKHTAR, J.- This is an application for transfer of the suit captioned "Ruqayya Khanum etc. V. Sarbuland Khan etc", now pending in the court of Mr. Ghaffar Jalil, Civil Judge, Chunian to any court of competent jurisdiction at Lahore.
2. In their suit the petitioners have challenged the validity of general power of attorney allegedly executed by Muhammad Zaman, husband of petitioner No. 1 and transfer of land owned by Muhammad Zaman in favour of respondents No.2 to 4 through sale deed dated 28.3.1982.
3. I have heard the learned counsel for the parties. The learned counsel for the petitioners submits that petitioner No. 1 is a Parda Nashin lady and petitioners No.2 and 3 are her minor daughters. They can ill-afford to pursue the case at Chunian where there is no protection for them. He points out that Muhammad Zaman Khan, husband of petitioner No. 1 had gone to Malaysia about 14 years ago and nothing had been heard about him since then. Before going abroad, he had appointed petitioner No. 1 as his special attorney. She leased out the land to respondent No.2 on 24.6.1976. On 19.3.1982 respondent No. 1 forged a general power of attorney purporting to have been executed in his favour by Muhammad Zaman Khan and on the strength of said bogus power of attorney he transferred the land to respondents No.2. To 4 on 28.3.1982. He submits that respondents No.2 to 4 are highly in fluential persons and are desperately trying to protect the raudulent transfer of the petitioners, land made in their favour by respondent No. 1. The petitioners are residents of Lahore and cannot run the risk of going to Chunian to pursue the case in view of the threats of serious consequences hurled out to them by the respondents. On the other had the learned counsel for the respondents has denied the allegations of threats made against the respondents. He submits that the petitioners can safely pursue the case at Chunian.
4. Evidently the petitioners do not have the support of any male member of the family. Petitioner No. 1 is a Parda Nashin woman, whose husband named Muhammad Zaman Khan had gone abroad and was not heard of for the last 14 years. Petitioners No.2 and are minor daughters of petitioner No. 1 They cannot safely pursue the case at Chunian. The allegations of threats levelled against the respondents are embodied in para 6(b) of the petition, which is duly supported by an affidavit filed by Mst. Ruqayya Khanum. Though the allegations of threats are verbally denied by the respondents, they have not controverted the same by means of a counter-affidavit. The respondents are said to be influential persons of the locality. They must be otherwise desperately keen to protect the considerable landed property obtained by them through the sale deed executed in their favour.
5. As the interest of a Parda Nashin woman and her two minor daughters is involved in the case who are residents of Lahore and cannot safely pursue the case at Chunian, I allow this application and direct that the civil suit captioned "Ruaawa Khanum etc. Vs. Sarbuland Khan etc." be transferred from the court of Mr. Ghaffar jalil, Civil Judge, Chunian, District Kasur to the court of Senior Civil Judge, Lahore who may hear the case himself or entrust it to any other court of competent jurisdiction at Lahore.