2000 S C M R 900

[Supreme Court of Pakistan]

Present: Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary and Rana Bhagan !as" ##
$BI! %$M$&'''Petitioner
(ersus
M)!!$SS$R M)S*$+$ and others'''Respondents
Civil Miscellaneous Application No.177-L of 1997 in constitutional Petition No. 178-L
of 1995, decided on 18th Fe!ua!", #$$$.
%&n appeal f!o' the (ud)'ent, dated 1*-1#-1995 passed " this Cou!t in Civil Petition
No. 175-L of 1995+.
,a- Ci(i. Pro/edure Code ,0 of 1902-'''
----,.1#%#+---Constitution of Pa-istan %197*+, A!t.185%*+---Petition fo! leave, Petitione!
had consu'ed so'e ti'e in pu!suin) the 'atte! in to appeal--,up!e'e Cou!t on account
of the i'p!ession that .application unde! ,.1#%#+ C. P. C. /ould e co'petent efo!e
,up!e'e Cou!t a)ainst the final o!de!.---
Plea of the petitione!, the!efo!e, /as that pe!'ission e acco!ded " ,up!e'e Cou!t to
/ithd!a/ the petition /ith ose!vation f!o' the Cou!t that the Cou!t sei0ed of the 'atte!
/ould s"'patheticall" conside! condonation of dela" if occu!!ed in app!oachin) the said
Cou!t ecause he had consu'ed # "ea!s in the p!oceedin)s efo!e ,up!e'e Cou!t---
1alidit"---Application unde! ,.1#%#+, C.P.C. su(ect to all (ust e2ceptions, /ould e
co'petent efo!e the Cou!t /hich had finall" decided the appeal---,up!e'e Cou!t, in
ci!cu'stances, allo/ed the contention of the petitione! that the Cou!t sei0ed of the
'atte!, if instituted unde! ,.1#%#+, C.P.C. should s"'patheticall" conside! !e3uest if
'ade fo! condonation of dela" in filin) of the application.
PL4 1995 ,C 5567 8ha/a(a Muha''ad 9ousuf v. Fede!al :ove!n'ent th!ou)h
,ec!eta!", Minist!" of 8ash'i! Affai!s and No!the!n A!eas and othe!s 1999 ,CM; 1515
and ,ec!eta!", Minist!" of ;eli)ious Affai!s and Mino!ities and # othe!s v. ,"ed Adul
Ma(id 199* ,CM; 1171 !ef.
,3- Ci(i. Pro/edure Code ,0 of 1902-'''
----,. 1# %#+---Application unde! ,.1#%#+, C.P..C. su(ect to all (ust e2ceptions /ill e
co'petent efo!e the Cou!t /hich had finall" decided the appeal.
PL4 1995 ,C 5567 8ha/a(a Muha''ad 9ousuf v. Fede!al :ove!n'ent th!ou)h
,ec!eta!", Minist!" of 8ash'i! Affai!s and No!the!n A!eas a!id othe!s 1999 ,CM; 1515
and ,ec!eta!", Minist!" of ;eli)ious Affai!<s and Mino!ities and # othe!s v. ,"ed Adul
Ma(id 199* ,CM;,1171 !ef.
Muha''ad A-!a' ,hei-h, Advocate ,up!e'e Cou!t fo!. Petitione!.
Ne'o fo! ;espondents.
4ate of hea!in)= 18th Fe!ua!", #$$$.
4R!5R
I+*I%6$R M)6$MM$! C6$)!6$R7" #.---Lea!ned counsel fo! the petitione!
contended that instant petition /as p!efe!!ed " hi' in vie/ of the (ud)'ent !epo!ted in
PL4 1995 ,C 556 /he!ein it has een held that application unde! section 1#%#+, C.P.C.
/ill e co'petent efo!e the ,up!e'e Cou!t a)ainst the final o!de!. >ut no/ this Cou!t
has cla!ified in the case 8ha/a(a Muha''ad 9ousuf v. Fede!al :ove!n'ent th!ou)h
,ec!eta!", Minist!" of 8ash'i! Affai!s and No!the!n A!eas and othe!s %1999 ,CM;
1515+ /he!ein it has een ose!ved that if ,up!e'e Cou!t 'e!el" !eaffi!'s a (ud)'ent o!
o!de! of a ?i)h Cou!t " !efusin) leave the final (ud)'ent in te!'s of section 1#%#+,
C.P.C. /ill e of the ?i)h Cou!t and not of the ,up!e'e Cou!t, the!efo!e, he
conte'plates to see- !e'ed" efo!e the appellate Cou!t. ?e p!a"ed that pe!'ission e
acco!ded to hi' to /ithd!a/ the petition /ith ose!vation that the Cou!t sei0ed /ith the
'atte! /ill s"'patheticall" conside! condonation of dela" if has occu!!ed in app!oachin)
the said Cou!t ecause petitione! has consu'ed aout t/o "ea!s in instant p!oceedin)s.
No one is p!esent on ehalf of !espondents ut as the petition is ein) /ithd!a/n,
the!efo!e, in ou! opinion thei! attendance is not necessa!".
#. @e have e2a'ined the in3uest so 'ade " the lea!ned counsel fo! /ithd!a/al of the
petition ut /e /ould li-e to 'ention that even p!io! to the (ud)'ent !epo!ted in PL4
1995 ,C 556 it had al!ead" een decided " this Cou!t that application unde! section
1#%#+, C.P.C. /ill e co'petent efo!e the Cou!t, /hich has passed final o!de! and not
the ,up!e'e Cou!t in the case of ,ec!eta!", Minist!" of ;eli)ious Affai!s and Mino!ities
and # othe!s v. ,"ed Adul Ma(id %199* ,CM; 1171+. ;elevant pa!a. is !ep!oduced f!o'
his (ud)'ent he!einelo/=--
.6. At is /ell-settled that the p!ovisions of the Code of Civil P!ocedu!e a!e applicale to
Constitution Petitions filed in the ?i)h Cou!t fiction 1#%#+, C.P.C. ein) a pa!t of it /ill
e applicale. An this connection the ne2t point fo! conside!ation is /hethe! in vie/ of the
fact that this Cou!t had dis'issed civil petition fo! leave to appeal filed " the appellants
a)ainst the (ud)'ent of the ?i)h Cou!t, application unde! section 1#%#+, C.P.C. could e
filed in the ?i)h Cou!t o! in the ,up!e'e Cou!t. As held in the :ove!n'ent of ,indh and
anothe! v. Ch. Fa0al Muha''ad %PL4 1991 ,C 197+, such application can e filed in the
Cou!t /hich passed the final o!de!. Bhe final o!de! in the p!esent case /as passed " the
?i)h Cou!t and, the!efo!e, the application filed " the appellants the!e /as co'petent. .
*. At is to e noted that the aove vie/ /as e2p!essed " th!ee ?on<le Cud)es of this
Cou!t /he!eas case of Mua!a- Ali v. Fa0al Muha''ad and anothe! %PL4 1995 ,C 556+
/as hea!d " t/o ?on<le Cud)es and /he!eas last-'entioned case /as also hea!d "
th!ee ?on<le Cud)es includin) the ?on<le Chief Custice, M!. Custice A('al Mian %as he
then /as+ /ho has autho!ed the (ud)'ent the!efo!e, the vie/ e2p!essed " the 'a(o!it"
of Cud)es p!evailin) !i)ht f!o' the ti'e /hen the case of ,ec!eta!", Minist!" of
;eli)ious Affai!s and Mino!ities and # othe!s v. ,"ed Adul Ma(id %199* ,CM; 1171+
/as decided shall p!evail. An oth the cases i.e. 199* ,CM; 1171 and 1999 ,CM; 1515
the !atio decidendi is that if ,up!e'e Cou!t 'e!el" affi!'s (ud)'ent o! o!de! of ?i)h
Cou!t " !efusin) leave the final (ud)'ent in te!'s of section 1#%#+, C.P.C. /ill e of the
?i)h Cou!t and not of the ,up!e'e Cou!t, and if, ho/eve!, ,up!e'e Cou!t !eve!ses a
(ud)'ent of a ?i)h Cou!t and !eco!ds a findin) on 3uestion of fact o! la/ cont!a!" to
/hat /as held " the ?i)h Cou!t, in that event the final (ud)'ent o! o!de! /ould e of
the ,up!e'e Cou!t fo! the pu!poses of section 1#%#+, C. P. C.
6. An the case in hand as /ell this Cou!t had !efused to )!ant leave to !espondent
Muddassa! Mustafa and othe!s, the!efo!e, -eepin) in vie/ these facts /e a!e of the
opinion that application unde! section 1#%#+, C.P.C. su(ect to all (ust e2ceptions /ill e
co'petent efo!e the Cou!t /hich had finall" decided the appeal. Bhus, !e3uest 'ade "
the lea!ned counsel fo! petitione! is allo/ed /ith the ose!vation that the Cou!t sei0ed
/ith the 'atte! if instituted unde! section 1#%#+, C.P.C. shall s"'patheticall" conside!
!e3uest if 'ade fo! condonation of dela" in filin) of the application, ecause petitione!
consu'ed so'e ti'e in pu!suin) instant p!oceedin)s.
Bhus, the petition is dis'issed as /ithd!a/n.

M.>.A.DA-7D, Petition dis'issed.