Sindh High Court orders to set up medical college for girls in Mohta Palace - 2021
The ruling comes amid a long-running dispute over Fatima Jinnah's historic property. Photo: White Star
The Sindh High Court has ordered that Qasr Fatima alias Mohta Palace be used to set up a medical and dental college for girls.
According to the Dawn newspaper, the order was issued on the long-running dispute over the historic property of Ms. Fatima Jinnah in Clifton.
A one-member bench of the Sindh High Court comprising Justice Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan ordered that the college should also have a hostel. Agreed.
The two sides proposed the names of some retired judges and well-known doctors as well as relatives of the late Fatima Jinnah to join the trust to run the affairs of the proposed medical college, after which further hearing of the case was adjourned till November 1.
However, the fate of the government-funded Mohta Palace Museum is still unclear.
In 1971, Fatima Jinnah's relative, Hussain Waliji, filed a lawsuit against her for managing her movable and immovable property, including Qasr Fatima.
After the death of Hussain Wali ji, his son Amir Ali became the plaintiff in the case but he also died while the case was pending, after which his legal heirs became part of the proceedings.
Following the death of Fatima Jinnah on July 10, 1967, the legal proceedings began after her only surviving sister, Shereen Jinnah, was given a certificate of succession to such properties.
Shereen Jinnah Charitable Trust has also been made a party in the case.
At the last hearing, both the parties, Fatima Jinnah's relatives and the lawyers of Shirin Jinnah Charitable Trust (defendants) informed the bench that they have considered the matter and are happy with the long standing dispute over Fatima Jinnah's abandoned property. Progress was made in resolving the issue and some suggestions were exchanged.
A provincial law officer also submitted a reply that both the parties are now moving towards fulfilling the wishes of the late Fatima Jinnah, as stated through a trust deed in which it was requested that the premises of Qasr Fatima be for girls. A special modern medical college and an adjoining hospital for the treatment of poor and deserving patients will be used.
The bench then asked the provincial law officer to look into the various orders of the court and submit a statement in this regard stating that the owners of the property, Fatima Jinnah and Shirin Jinnah, were able to use the property as per their wishes. What help can be provided to do this?
It may be recalled here that on the previous order, the bench had granted the request of the plaintiff's counsel to call the property Qasr Fatima instead of Mohta Palace in official documents.