rki.news

By Mian Naveed Afzal

The court ruled that all property-related cases involving overseas Pakistanis will now be heard in Special Courts. Previously, these Special Courts only handled disputes related to possession and ownership, while inheritance, property transfer, power of attorney, and other civil matters were heard in regular civil courts.
The court clarified that the purpose of the Overseas Property Act is to provide complete protection to the properties of overseas Pakistanis. Therefore, all movable and immovable property cases involving overseas Pakistanis will now fall under the jurisdiction of Special Courts. The court also declared the earlier limited interpretation of the law by Special Courts and Civil Courts to be incorrect, stating that cases cannot be treated like a “ping-pong” between different courts. Furthermore, the court ruled that if even one party in a case is an overseas Pakistani, the matter will be heard in a Special Court. Cases transferred from Civil Courts will continue from the same stage, and there will be no need to file a fresh lawsuit. Lahore High Court also directed all District and Session Judges to ensure implementation of the decision.