Narrating her ordeal to The Express Tribune, Shabbiran said that her deceased husband, Hashmatullah, owned a house, CS No. 343/1, which he gifted to her in 1973, and a bicycle shop, CS No. B-3253/1 and 2. This shop was the only source of livelihood for the family.
One of their sons, Muhammad Azam, used to help run the shop and took over the business when Hashmatullah became paralysed in 1988. “He often took our thumb impressions but my husband lost his memory after the paralysis and I am illiterate so I couldn’t tell what papers he made me sign,” she said.
When Hashmatullah died in 1998, Azam’s attitude towards the family changed. Shabbiran decided to distribute the two properties among all her children before a major fight began but she found out that Azam had transferred both properties under his name. Azam resorted to mentally torturing the family and would often cut off electricity, gas and water supply to their portion of the house. Azam recently moved out of the house and Shabbiran is being taken care of by her younger son.
Shabbiran filed a case in the court of a civil judge but in 2009 the court decided against her. The court, however, directed Azam to restore electricity and gas supply to the house. She then filed an appeal in the district and sessions court which was also rejected. “Now I have filed an appeal against the verdict in the Sindh High Court,” she said.
“We just want justice. The house and the shop belong to our father and all his children have a right to the property,” said her son, Muhammad Ahmed. Mohammad Azam, who is still running his father’s bicycle shop, insisted that his parents gifted both the properties to him and that makes him the legitimate owner.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 13th, 2011.
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