LAHORE: A civil court has issued notices to Kausar Yousaf, sister of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, and the chief settlement commissioner, for October 01 in a suit against the Punjab government of forging revenue record to disturb the ownership of Jati Umra residence of the Sharif family.

The court server informed that the process of summoning the chief settlement commissioner and Kausar Yousaf had not been completed. The court directed the process server to take pictures of the houses of the defendants, their persons or any other person, if any, accepting the summons on behalf of the defendants. The process server was also directed to make a site map of the house/place on the backside of the summons.

Yousaf Abbas and three other children of Abbas Sharif, late brother of Nawaz Sharif, had filed the suit seeking a declaration in their favour as lawful owner in possession of the property being legal heirs of late Shamim Akhtar, wife of Mian Muhammad Sharif, and grandmother of the plaintiffs.

The court had already maintained the status quo in the case. The plaintiff arrayed Nawaz Sharif, Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, and his sister Kausar Yousaf as pro-forma defendant, in the suit saying they were unable to join the litigation as plaintiffs.

The suit stated that the plaintiffs and the pro-forma defendants are the legal heirs and successors-in-interest of Akhtar, wife of Mian Muhammad Sharif. Akhtar was the owner of property measuring 241-kanal and 10-marla in the revenue estate of Manak, tehsil Raiwind, through two registered sale deeds materialized in 1993 and 1996.

Ms Akhtar breathed her last in London, UK, on November 22, 2020, leaving behind the plaintiffs and pro-forma defendants as her only legal heirs. The suit contended that the plaintiffs and the pro-forma defendants are the joint owners in possession of the Jati Umra, Raiwind property measuring 1580 kanal including the land mentioned in the two sale deeds.

Out of the total 1580 kanal, 1180 kanal is agricultural land whereas the remaining 400 kanal comprises mansions constructed by the plaintiffs and the pro-forma defendants, who have been in possession of the land since they had purchased the same. The suit said the revenue authorities were out to manoeuvre the ownership record of the land illegally at the behest of the incumbent government.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021