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PESHAWAR, Dec 15 (APP):The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has declared null and void 80 decisions of the Provincial Ombudsperson made under the Women’s Inheritance Protection Law.
In its 90-page written judgment, the court ruled that the Women Property Rights Act 2019 does not grant the Provincial Ombudsperson the authority to distribute disputed property.
In the decision authored by Justice Muhammad Naeem Anwar, it was made clear that complex property-related disputes fall within the jurisdiction of civil courts, and that all decisions of the Ombudsperson are in conflict with the Land Revenue Act 1967.
The court further held that the Ombudsperson can neither halt judicial proceedings nor give a final ruling on ownership rights. It also clarified that while the Ombudsperson may review pending civil or family cases, they do not have the authority to issue binding decisions.
The Advocate General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa informed the court that certain provisions of the Women Property Rights Act contain flaws, which require legislative amendments to be rectified.