Woman takes back 57-kanal GIFT from brother after 24 years

Justice Faez Isa of the Supreme Court on Thursday remarked that he had never heard about any brother gifting land to his sister, as the Supreme Court rejected a plea seeking ownership rights, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The appellant, Abdul Hayee, had challenged the Lahore High Court’s decision in a matter pertaining to 57 kanals of land located in Talagang tehsil of Chakwal district.

“Don’t know why people hate Sharia [when it comes to women’s property rights]. No one wants to give sisters their due share according to Sharia,” Justice Faez, who was heading a two-member bench, observed.

“I haven’t heard to date that some brother gifted land to his sister. Brothers are pleased that they are getting double share in the inheritance,” the senior apex court judge said.

During the hearing, the petitioner’s lawyer argued that the tehsildar – the top revenue officer in a tehsil – had stated himself as an eyewitness that the woman visited herself for recording her statement [about alleged land transfer].

This argument prompted Justice Faez to say that they would review the past if he wanted to see the tehsildar lose his job.

The Supreme Court justice said the assumed statement was recorded nine years before the tehsil gave that statement. How did he manage to remember the event, he questioned.

“Even if the tehsildar deals with 10 to 20 cases every day, how he managed to remember that it is the same woman,” Justice Faez remarked as the court rejected the appeal about the land transfer issue.

The land was transferred to Hayee in 1996, claiming that the sister had gifted that to him after their father’s death. However, the move triggered a dispute. The lower-level civil court had decided the matter in his favour.

However, the district court later overturned the verdict – a move endorsed by the Lahore High Court and now by the Supreme Court.