ISLAMABAD, Jan 13: The Federal Ombudsperson Secretariat for Protection Against Harassment (FOSPAH) has successfully resolved a long-standing family property dispute involving female legal heirs, reinforcing women’s constitutional and legal right to inheritance.
The dispute pertained to a valuable residential property located at House No. 227, Main Double Road (Rothas Road), G-9/1, Islamabad, originally owned by Safia Khanum, who passed away in 2008. The matter remained unresolved for more than 17 years, involving multiple heirs across generations and causing prolonged stress, financial hardship, and family discord, particularly affecting women heirs.
Following Safia Khanum’s death, the property was never formally partitioned among the legal heirs. After the death of her son Javed Khan in 2020, the property came under the occupation of his son, leading to serious disputes over possession, rental income, taxes, maintenance expenses, and the future disposal of the property. The female complainants alleged denial of inheritance and unlawful withholding of their lawful shares, while the respondent cited financial constraints and maintenance costs and proposed selling the property to settle the matter.
Upon receipt of the complaint, FOSPAH adopted a conciliatory and settlement-oriented approach, carefully examining the positions of all parties and facilitating dialogue to avoid prolonged litigation. Through sustained mediation efforts by the forum, the parties eventually reached a consensus to sell the disputed property in the open market, bringing an end to a dispute that had persisted since 2008.
As a result of the settlement, the property was sold for approximately PKR 10 crore, and the female complainants received their lawful inheritance shares in accordance with succession documents and applicable law. The resolution restored their legal entitlement, financial security, and dignity.
Commenting on the outcome, the Honorable Federal Ombudsperson stated that denial of inheritance to women is not merely a family dispute but a violation of fundamental rights, reaffirming FOSPAH’s commitment to ensuring women are not deprived of their lawful property through delay, coercion, or informal control.
The case stands as another example of FOSPAH’s effective role in protecting women against economic exploitation, addressing gender-based injustice in inheritance matters, and promoting peaceful, lawful, and equitable resolution of family disputes.
