Supreme Court Rejects Land Transfer Based On Oral Agreement

In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has dismissed a land transfer claim based on an alleged oral agreement from 1992, emphasizing the necessity of concrete evidence in such cases. The court's decision, delivered by Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan, overturned previous lower court rulings that had favored the plaintiffs, Ali Sher and others, who claimed that a jirga had mandated the transfer of 32 kanals of land to them after a murder case acquittal. The Supreme Court stated, "Mere possession or long-term occupation does not establish ownership," underscoring that the plaintiffs failed to provide essential details such as the date, time, place, terms, and witnesses of the supposed agreement. The court's judgment highlighted that the lower courts had misapplied the law and overlooked significant deficiencies in the evidence presented. This ruling marks a critical moment in property law, reinforcing the need for rigorous standards in establishing ownership claims based on oral agreements, which are often contentious and difficult to prove.