A civil court on Friday issued fresh notices to the chief settlement commissioner and ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s sister Kausar Yousaf in a suit that accuses the Punjab government of forging revenue records to disturb the ownership of Jati Umra, a residence of the Sharif family.
In April this year, the court had already maintained the status quo that the present status of this precious residence should not be changed.
Earlier during the previous hearing on September 20, the court had directed the process server to take pictures of the houses of the defendants, their persons, or any other person, if any, accepting the summons on behalf of the defendants. The process server was also directed to make a site map of the house/place on the backside of the summons.
This order was issued as the court was informed that the process of summoning the chief settlement commissioner and Kausar Yousaf had not been completed.
Yousaf Abbas Sharif and three other siblings of Abbas Sharif, the late brother of Nawaz Sharif, had moved to the court seeking a declaration in their favour as lawful owner in possession of the property being legal heirs of late Ms Shamim Akhtar, grandmother of the plaintiffs.
The plaintiff’s counsel arrayed Nawaz Sharif, Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, and their sister Kausar Yousaf as pro-forma defendants (a defendant named as a matter of formality, who typically has no direct responsibility for the harm alleged, but shares an interest) in the suit saying they were unable to join the litigation as plaintiffs. He claimed
that the plaintiffs and the pro-forma defendants are the legal heirs and successors-in-interest of Begum Shamim Akhtar, wife of Mian Muhammad Sharif. He stated that Ms Akhtar was the owner of property measuring 241-kanal and 10-marla in the revenue estate of Manak, tehsil Raiwind, district Lahore through two registered sale deeds materialized in 1993 and 1996.
He further stated that Begum Shamim Akhtar breathed her last in London, the U.K on November 22, 2020, leaving behind the plaintiffs and pro-forma defendants as her only legal heirs. He claimed that the plaintiffs and the pro-forma defendants are the joint owners in possession of the Jati Umra, Raiwind property measuring 1580 Kanal including the land mentioned in the two sale deeds.
He stated that out of this 1580 Kanal, land measuring 1180 Kanal is agricultural land whereas the remaining 400 Kanal comprises mansions constructed by the plaintiffs and the Pro-forma defendants, who have been in possession of the land since they had purchased the same. He alleged that the revenue authorities were out to maneuver the ownership record of the land illegally at the behest of the incumbent government.
He requested that the plaintiff should not be deprived of their legal share of Jati Umra.
The court will hold further hearing on October 1.
