Haji Zahir Ali, Advocate V. Xen/Executive District Officer, Public Health Engineering Department Kharan and 3 others,
CLC 2016 692 · Balochistan High Court
This case concerned a long-running property dispute in Kharan, Balochistan. A lawyer, Haji Zahir Ali, claimed that a large plot of land, measuring 160,000 square feet, had been allotted to him in 1980 by the Chairman of the Town Committee, and that he had remained in possession until others interfered while he was away pursuing his education. He sued for a declaration of ownership, an injunction, and partial possession. The case had a lengthy procedural history, moving between trial court, appellate forums (Majlis-e-Shoora), and even the Supreme Court, involving remands, a compromise decree that was later set aside, and multiple rounds of litigation over more than two decades.
The key legal question before the Balochistan High Court was whether the Chairman of the Town Committee even had the legal authority to allot this land in the first place. Examining government notifications from 1975, the Court found that only the Secretary of Local Government had power to allot such land, and only after a proper process involving a No Objection Certificate from the District Coordination Committee. Since this procedure was never followed, and the Chairman lacked jurisdiction entirely, the original allotment was void from the start. Local officials also confirmed no valid allotment had ever been made.
The High Court therefore dismissed the petitioner's revision petition, upholding the lower courts' rejection of his claim. The judgment reinforces that state land can only be allotted by officials with proper legal authority, protecting public land from improper transfers by unauthorized local officials.
یہ مقدمہ خاران، بلوچستان میں ایک طویل عرصے سے جاری زمین کے تنازع سے متعلق تھا۔ ایک وکیل، حاجی ظہیر علی، کا دعویٰ تھا کہ ایک بڑا قطعہ اراضی، جس کا رقبہ ایک لاکھ ساٹھ ہزار مربع فٹ تھا، 1980 میں ٹاؤن کمیٹی کے چیئرمین نے انہیں الاٹ کیا تھا، اور وہ اس پر قابض رہے یہاں تک کہ تعلیم کے سلسلے میں ان کی غیر موجودگی کے دوران دیگر افراد نے اس میں مداخلت کی۔ انہوں نے ملکیت کے اعلان، حکمِ امتناعی، اور جزوی قبضے کے لیے دعویٰ دائر کیا۔ اس مقدمے کی ایک طویل قانونی تاریخ رہی، جو ٹرائل کورٹ، اپیلی فورمز (مجلسِ شوریٰ)، اور حتیٰ کہ سپریم کورٹ کے درمیان گھومتی رہی، جس میں کیس کی واپسی (ری مانڈ)، ایک مصالحتی ڈگری جسے بعد میں کالعدم قرار دیا گیا، اور دو دہائیوں سے زائد عرصے پر محیط قانونی چارہ جوئی کے متعدد ادوار شامل تھے۔
بلوچستان ہائی کورٹ ک