Government of Balochistan through Secretary Revenue Board v. Rashid,
CLC 2010 1496 · Balochistan High Court
This case involved a dispute over land in Turbat, Balochistan, between private individuals claiming ancestral ownership and the Balochistan Provincial Government, which claimed the same land as state property. The respondents said their ancestor had bought the land in 1931 and that it had remained in their family's possession, later being wrongly recorded in the government's name in the revenue record. They sued for a declaration of ownership, a permanent injunction, and correction of the revenue entries. Both the trial court and the appellate court had ruled in their favor.
The government challenged this in the High Court, arguing the lower courts had not properly examined the evidence. The High Court agreed. It found that although the respondents claimed a sale deed existed proving the 1931 purchase, they never actually produced this document in court. Instead, both lower courts had relied only on oral testimony to decide a matter of land title, which the High Court held was legally insufficient, especially since the land was officially recorded in the government's name.
Because the lower courts' decisions were based on inadequate evidence and were legally flawed, the High Court ruled they were void, meaning the usual time limits for filing an appeal did not strictly apply. It therefore excused the government's delay in filing, overturned both earlier rulings, dismissed the original lawsuit, and restored the land record in favor of the government. The case highlights that ownership claims, especially against government land records, must be proven with solid documentary evidence, not just witness statements.
یہ کیس تربت، بلوچستان کی زمین کے تنازع سے متعلق ہے، جو نجی افراد کے مابین تھا جو اس زمین پر آبائی ملکیت کا دعویٰ کر رہے تھے، اور بلوچستان کی صوبائی حکومت کے مابین، جو اسی زمین کو سرکاری ملکیت قرار دے رہی تھی۔ مدعا علیہان کا کہنا تھا کہ ان کے جدِ امجد نے یہ زمین 1931 میں خریدی تھی اور یہ زمین ان کے خاندان کے قبضے میں رہی، مگر بعد میں محکمہ مال کے ریکارڈ میں غلطی سے حکومت کے نام درج کر دی گئی۔ انہوں نے عدالت میں ملکیت کے اعلان، مستقل حکمِ امتناعی، اور ریونیو ریکارڈ کی درستی کے لیے دعویٰ دائر کیا۔ ٹرائل کورٹ اور اپیلٹ کورٹ، دونوں نے ان کے حق میں فیصلہ دیا۔
حکومت نے اس فیصلے کو ہائی کورٹ میں چیلنج کیا اور موقف اختیار کیا کہ ماتحت عدالتوں نے شواہد کا مناسب جائزہ نہیں لیا۔ ہائی کورٹ نے اس دلیل سے اتفاق کیا۔ عدالت نے پایا کہ اگرچہ مدعا علیہان نے دعویٰ کیا تھا کہ 1931 کی خریداری کو ثابت کرنے والا ایک بیع نامہ