108-year-old property dispute reaches LHC

Dispute traces back to 1909 ownership records and 1918 revenue entry

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday reserved its verdict on a petition challenging the division of inherited property in a dispute dating back more than a century, involving approximately 666 acres of land.

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani heard the case filed by petitioner Sadiq Masih and concluded proceedings after both sides completed their arguments.

During the hearing, the petitioner's counsel argued that the property originally belonged to Wasa Singh, whose two sons were recorded as co-owners in 1909.

However, he contended that in 1918, revenue authorities incorrectly declared one of the sons unmarried and transferred the entire property to the other, a move he described as legally flawed and unsupported by evidence.

The court raised questions over the feasibility of verifying or annulling records that are over a hundred years old.

Justice Kayani observed that either a direct heir of the original owner must substantiate the claim or there must be credible documentary evidence establishing lineage, which appeared to be lacking in the present case.

The petitioner's counsel further submitted that the property was transferred in February 1947 to the heirs of Budha Singh.

He argued that obtaining original marriage or family records from the pre-partition period was extremely difficult due to the passage of time and historical disruptions.

He also informed the court that the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) had issued a death certificate of the petitioner's grandfather in 2019 after verification.

However, the bench expressed concern over the issuance of such a document nearly a century after the alleged death, questioning its evidentiary value.