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ISLAMABAD, May 23 (APP):The Federal Ombudsperson for Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace (FOSPAH) has extended significant relief worth PKR 4 million (40 lacs) to a female complainant in a landmark decision against the Jammu and Kashmir Cooperative Housing Society.
This judgment not only upholds the complainant’s right to property but also exposes systemic fraud and financial mismanagement within the Society.
The complainant, who had been seeking possession of her residential plot for over two decades, was repeatedly misled and subjected to unjustified financial demands even after having paid all dues in full. The Society further attempted to extract PKR 340,000 in baseless development charges.
The Honorable Federal Ombudsperson, Ms. Fauzia Viqar, found that the Society had collected money from the public since 2003 under false pretenses, selling them the dream of a home while taking no substantial steps to deliver on its commitments. Members, including the complainant, were continuously pressured to pay development charges while no development took place—constituting fraudulent misrepresentation, breach of trust, and gross negligence.
In light of these findings, FOSPAH directed the Society to allot and hand over possession of a 200-square-yard plot in Sector F-16/4 to the complainant with no further delay, and financial demand, as she has already paid the full consideration amount. Furthermore, the Registrar, Cooperative Societies has been ordered to audit the society, investigate allegations of fraud and non-development, and initiate disciplinary action against all those involved in the mismanagement. The Society must also submit a compliance report to FOSPAH in this regard.
“Justice delayed should not mean justice denied. Today, we restored a woman’s rightful claim and protected her from further financial exploitation. FOSPAH remains resolute in safeguarding the rights of women across all spheres of life,”
the Federal Ombudsperson said.
This ruling reflects FOSPAH’s broader mandate to ensure women’s constitutional rights under the Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights Act, 2020, protecting them from institutional exploitation and systemic injustice.