A single-judge bench of the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday ordered the formation of a commission to trace and recover the missing assets of the founder of the nation Muhammad Ali Jinnah and his sister Fatima Jinnah after an inquiry into the matter.
While hearing a lawsuit filed 50 years ago by a relative of Fatima Jinnah’s, the court observed that many possessions of the Quaid-e-Azam and his sister, including cars, jewelry, bank accounts, and shares were missing. SHC Judge Justice Faheem Ahmed Siddique said that the commission would investigate the whereabouts of the missing assets and would be empowered to seek the assistance of any governmental department in this pursuit.
The bench had on October 13 ordered the official assignee to take custody of Mohatta Palace, also known as Qasr-e-Fatima, and set up a medical college on the premises. However, on November 8 a two-member bench had suspended the order on the appeal of the Sindh Government.
The hearing was adjourned until December 8 and notices were issued to all concerned parties after the Mohatta Palace Gallery Trust, which looks after the property, filed an application to become party to the dispute. The lawsuit was filed in 1971 by a relative of Ms. Jinnah and has since been passed down three generations and the original plaintiff and his successor both passed away.
