Rehmat Ali v. Abdul Samad,
CLC 2012 692 · Balochistan High Court
This case involved a property dispute between family members in Turbat, Balochistan. Abdul Samad claimed he had lawfully purchased land and rooms from his father in 1984 and sought a court declaration confirming his ownership, along with eviction of relatives (the petitioners) who were living in some of the rooms. The petitioners denied his ownership, arguing the property belonged jointly to the family and that their father had allowed them to live there.
The trial court initially dismissed Abdul Samad's suit, but on appeal, the Appellate Court reversed this and ruled in his favor. The petitioners then challenged that appellate decision before the Balochistan High Court.
The High Court found a serious procedural flaw: during the trial, a key witness for Abdul Samad had been re-examined and asked about entirely new matters, not just clarifications of earlier cross-examination, without giving the opposing side a chance to cross-examine him again on those new points. This violated the proper legal procedure for re-examining witnesses under the law of evidence. Because of this defect, the witness's re-examination testimony could not be relied upon. The High Court also found that the Appellate Court had not properly evaluated the evidence and had reached conclusions inconsistent with the record.
As a result, the High Court set aside the Appellate Court's judgment and restored the trial court's original decision, with some modifications. This case highlights the importance of following fair procedure when examining witnesses, since violations can undermine the reliability of evidence and the fairness of a trial.
یہ کیس تربت، بلوچستان میں خاندان کے افراد کے درمیان جاری جائیداد کے تنازعے سے متعلق ہے۔ عبدالصمد کا دعویٰ تھا کہ اس نے 1984 میں اپنے والد سے زمین اور کمرے قانونی طور پر خریدے تھے، اور اس نے عدالت سے استدعا کی کہ اس کی ملکیت کی توثیق کی جائے اور ساتھ ہی ان رشتہ داروں (درخواست گزاروں) کو بے دخل کیا جائے جو کچھ کمروں میں رہائش پذیر تھے۔ درخواست گزاروں نے اس کی ملکیت کے دعوے کی تردید کی اور کہا کہ یہ جائیداد پورے خاندان کی مشترکہ ملکیت ہے، اور ان کے والد نے انہیں وہاں رہنے کی اجازت دی تھی۔
ٹرائل کورٹ نے ابتدائی طور پر عبدالصمد کا دعویٰ خارج کر دیا، لیکن اپیل پر اپیلیٹ کورٹ نے اس فیصلے کو کالعدم قرار دے کر اس کے حق میں فیصلہ سنایا۔ اس کے بعد درخواست گزاروں نے اپیلیٹ کورٹ کے اس فیصلے کو بلوچستان ہائی کورٹ میں چیلنج کیا۔
ہائی کورٹ نے ایک سنگین طریقہ کار کی خامی نوٹ کی: ٹرائ