Dr. ASMA NIGHAT ZAIDI vs Syeda SAFOORA BEGUM Inheritance — 2024 CLC 1288 LAHORE-HIGH-COURT-LAHORE

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Dr. ASMA NIGHAT ZAIDI VS Syeda SAFOORA BEGUM Inheritance---Tarka---Scope---Legal heirs, entitlement of----All moveable and immoveable properties owned and possessed by the deceased at the time of death, including property which is due to the deceased from any other person (though not received by the deceased during his life time, but the deceased was legally entitled to raise a claim in respect of the same in his life time), and distributable among his legal heirs as per their respective shares is called Tarka---Succession to the estate of a Muslim under the Muhammadan Law shall open the moment a person departs from this world and rest of the proceedings are mere formalities---Legal heirs, as per the Shariah, who are alive at that time, shall be entitled to inherit the estate. Citation Name: 2024 CLC 1288 LAHORE-HIGH-COURT-LAHORE Dr. ASMA NIGHAT ZAIDI VS Syeda SAFOORA BEGUM S. 375---Succession certificate----Bank account of the deceased---Bank account bearing characteristic of "either or survivor"---Legal heirs, entitlement of---Scope---Petitioner /widow was aggrieved of concurrent judgments by which legal heirs, besides her, were also held entitled to inherit an amount left in joint account opened by she and her husband (deceased)---Validity---Bank Account opening application / form which bears characteristic of "either or survivor", neither gives any authority to the Bank to disburse the available amount to the survivor of the joint account holder nor makes the survivor sole owner of the amount available in joint account---Said arrangement also does not get support from Muhammadan Law, especially when the Courts below after appreciating the evidence brought on record have concurrently observed that it was not established that petitioner (wife /widow of the deceased ) had any own source of income rather she was dependent upon her husband and the joint account was opened in the air of confidence for sake of domestic liabilities---Moreover, it was not stipulated in the application form that the survivor was unconditionally entitled to withdraw any amount from the said account after the death of co-account holder without adopting the due process of law---Admittedly, the amount available in the joint account was not gifted to petitioner /widow, thus, she retained no title over the same---Even otherwise, under the law with the death of one of the account holders of a joint account any authorization/authority given by the deceased co-account holder stands automatically revoked and even a validly authorized person is denuded of such power after death of the principal as all assets of the deceased by operation of law stand vested in the ownership of legal heirs of the deceased and the Bank or the joint account holder are not empowered to unilaterally operate the account or withdraw any amount until and unless as per law a declaration regarding succession or letter of administration or probate is issued by the Court of competent jurisdiction---Even in nomination cases, nominee is not entitled to receive the entire amount of deceased---Such nomination would neither be a will nor a gift nor a trust---It would merely be a mandate, the validity of which would expire with death and the amount available in the account would be undisposed estate of the deceased---Such nomination cannot override the provisions of Islamic Law of Inheritance, therefore, no legal heir could be deprived from receiving their respective share---Both the Courts below had rightly appreciated the legal perspective of the matter and impugned decisions were supported by valid lawful reasons---Petitioners had failed to point out any illegality or legal infirmity in the concurrent findings of Courts below, hence no interference was warranted in exercise of constitutional jurisdiction---Constitutional petition, being meritless, was dismissed.

Dr. ASMA NIGHAT ZAIDI vs Syeda SAFOORA BEGUM Inheritance — 2024 CLC 1288 LAHORE-HIGH-COURT-LAHORE

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