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1999 SCMR 2338

SHER KHAN vs BAZ KHAN and others

Citation1999 SCMR 2338
CourtSupreme Court of Pakistan
Case No.Civil Petition No,50 of 1999 Civil Revision No,37-D of 1998
Date1999-05-06
Judge(s)Muhammad Arif, Mamoon Kazi, Ajmal Mian
ResultPetition dismissed.

ORDER

' MAMOON KAZI, J.---Brief facts of the case are that land measuring 8 Kanals and 5 Marlas situated in Village Murali, Tehsil Talagang, District Chakwal, owned by one Muhammad Saleem, was sold to the petitioner for consideration of Rs,10,900. The sale was evidenced by Mutation No,1950 sanctioned on 28-6-1992.

2. Thereafter, two suits for pre-emption were filed in respect of the said sale, one by respondents Nos.1 to 7 and the other by respondents Nos.8 to 10. After consideration of the said suits, the learned trial Court vide judgment, dated 21-6-1993, dismissed both the suits.

3. Respondents Nos.8 to 11 did not challenge the said judgment, but respondents Nos.1 to 7 field appeal against the judgment of the learned trial Court which was allowed by the Additional District Judge vide judgment, dated 28-10-1996 and the suit of the said respondents was decreed to the extent of 8th and 9th share of the land in dispute.

4. The petitioner filed revision before the Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi Bench, but the same was dismissed by the learned Judge in Chambers vide judgment, dated 27-10-1998.

5. Mr. Muhammad Munir Peracha, learned counsel for the petitioner has firstly argued that the said respondents having acquired knowledge about the sale on 7-8-1992, although, made Talab-i- Muwasibat on the same day, but thereafter, notice as required by section 13(3) of the Punjab Pre- emption Act, 1991 was sent by them on 11-8-1992. Subsection (3) of section 13 provides that:-- "(3) Where a pre-emptor has made Talab-i-Muwasibat under subsection (2), he shall as soon thereafter as possible but not later than two weeks from the date of knowledge make Talab-i- Ishhad by sending a notice in writing attested by two truthful witnesses, under registered cover acknowledgement due, to the vendee, confirming his intention to exercise the right of pre- emption."

' The Learned counsel while relying upon two earlier judgments of this Court in Zafar Ali v. Zainul Abidin (1992 SCM R 1886) and Mir Sahib Khan v. Muhammad Rauf Khan (1992 SCM R 1780), has argued that Talab-i-Ishhad should have been made soon after the first Talab as possible and if it was possible for the plaintiff to make Talab-e-Ishhad on the same day when Talab-iMuwasibat was made, the same should have been made accordingly. According to the learned counsel, the plaintiff failed to show that it was not possible for him to send such notice within the time as required by the said subsection, therefore, requirements of law were not fulfilled. In the said judgments it was observed that notice in respect of Talab-i-Ishhad must be sent as soon as possible after Talab-i-Muwasibat, but it was further observed that it should be sent not later than two weeks from the date of knowledge. In Sahib Khan's case (supra), although this Court was interpreting the provisions of section 13 of N.-W.F.P. Pre-emption Act, but the said provisions are identical to those of the same section of Punjab Pre-emption Act, 1991. It was observed in this case:-- "The plain reading of the aforequoted provisions of pre-emption law makes it amply clear that no sooner the pre-emptor gets knowledge of the sale transaction, he is to declare his intention to pre- empt the same and as soon thereafter as possible has to send a registered cover notice, acknowledgement due, in writing, attested by two truthful witnesses, to the vendee. This is to create evidence of the intention of the pre-emptor to file a suit for pre-emption. The ingredient of subsection (3) are; one, that the notice must be sent as soon as possible after Talab-iMawathibat but not later than two weeks; two, that the notice must be sent in writing; three, it must be attested by two truthful witnesses; and four, it must be sent under registered cover acknowledgement due.

There is a proviso in subsection (3) that the Talab-i-Ishhad can be oral in presence of two truthful witnesses if no facility of post office is available to the pre-emptor."

6. In a recent judgment of this Court in Muhammad GuI v. Muhammad Afzal (

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