Supreme Court allows building tenants time to hire a counsel

The bench observes that counsels mislead people who do not know about the issue.

KARACHI: The Supreme Court allowed the tenants more time on Tuesday to hire a counsel for their representation while hearing the pleas pertaining to eviction and ownership of a building in Saddar.

A three-member bench headed by Justice Mushir Alam and comprising Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah heard the pleas at the SC Karachi registry.

"Manipulation in the title of the land is common not just in Karachi but all over Pakistan and it is done with the assistance of lawyers," remarked Justice Alam.

The bench observed that counsels mislead people who do not know about the issue. The Bar Council should take action against counsels for pleading such cases, remarked the court. "Councils of lawyers in China discourage lawyers against falsification in cases," said Justice Alam. The additional advocate general (AAG) asked how the tenants would be evicted from the building.

"Courts are not that helpless. We know how to make people comply with orders. The system would fall apart if it is not run according to law," remarked Justice Shah.

How could a tenant buy the house from a third party instead of the landlord, asked the bench.  The court granted an extension to the alleged tenants to hire a counsel and warned them to come prepared at the next hearing or the verdict would be announced according to the law.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th, 2019.