مدعی کی جانب سے ثبوت دینے کے لیے مدعا علیہ کو گواہ کے طور پر بلانے کا عمل - - استحقاق-- موجودہ معاملے میں ، مدعیوں نے اعلامیہ اور............

 P L D 2024 Supreme Court 976
C.P.L.A. No. 47 of 2024
MUHAMMAD AYAZ VersusMst. SAIMA SAEED

مدعی کی جانب سے ثبوت دینے کے لیے مدعا علیہ کو گواہ کے طور پر بلانے کا عمل - - استحقاق-- موجودہ معاملے میں ، مدعیوں نے اعلامیہ اور حکم امتناع کے لیے مقدمہ دائر کیا ، اور پھر اپنے گواہ کے طور پر پہلے مدعا علیہ (مدعا علیہ) کو سمن جاری کرنے کی درخواست کی ۔ ٹرائل جج نے درخواست کو مسترد کر دیا ، اور اس کے حکم کو پہلے اپیلٹ کورٹ اور پھر ریویژن کورٹ نے برقرار رکھا ۔ - جواز-- موجودہ مقدمے کے حقائق میں ، اگر پہلا مدعا علیہ گواہ خانے میں پیش ہونے میں ناکام رہتا ہے ، تو مدعی کو گواہ کے سمن جاری کرکے اس کی موجودگی پر مجبور کرنے کی اجازت دینا ایک قابل اعتراض عمل ہوگا ۔ - اس طرح کا عمل گواہ کی جانچ اور جرح کو غلط ہاتھوں میں ڈالتا ہے ، منصفانہ مقدمے کی سماعت میں رکاوٹ ڈالتا ہے ، اور انصاف میں رکاوٹ ڈالتا ہے ۔ - ایک ہی وقت میں ، فریقین کے لیے گواہ خانے میں داخل ہونے سے گریز کرنا بھی ایک برا عمل ہے جب وہ ذاتی ثبوت دینے کی پوزیشن میں ہوں - - لہذا ، مقدمے میں پہلا مدعا علیہ ، جو موجودہ درخواست کو جنم دیتا ہے ، سے توقع کی جاتی ہے کہ وہ اپنے مقدمے کی حمایت میں ذاتی گواہی فراہم کرے - اگر وہ کافی وجہ کے بغیر پیش نہیں ہوتی ہے ، تو یہ ثبوت کو دبانے یا روکنے کے مترادف ہوگا ، اور عدالت اس کے خلاف نتیجہ اخذ کرنے کی حقدار ہوگی ۔ --- مندرجہ ذیل عدالتوں کے احکامات میں کوئی کمزوری نہیں پائی گئی ، اس طرح ، انہیں سپریم کورٹ نے برقرار رکھا ۔--

---Practice of calling the defendant as a witness to give evidence on behalf of the plaintiff---Propriety---In the present case, the plaintiffs filed a suit for declaration and injunction, and then applied for a summons to be issued to the first defendant (respondent), as their witness---Trial Judge declined the application, and his order was first upheld by the Appellate Court and then by the Revision Court---Validity---In the facts of the present case, if the first defendant fails to appear in the witness box, allowing the plaintiffs to compel her presence by the issue of a witness summons, would be an objectionable practice---Such a practice places the examination and cross-examination of a witness in the wrong hands, hinders fair trial, and obstructs justice---At the same time, it is also a bad practice for parties to refrain from entering the witness box when they are in a position to give personal evidence---Therefore, the first defendant in the suit, giving rise to the present petition, is expected to provide personal testimony in support of her case---If she does not appear without sufficient cause, it will amount to suppression or withholding of evidence, and the Court will be entitled to draw an inference against her----No infirmity was found in the orders of the Courts below, thus, the same were upheld by the Supreme Court---

ORDER

.---In a suit for declaration and injunction, the plaintiffs (petitioners herein) applied for a summons to be issued to the first defendant, Mst. Saima Saeed, as their witness. The Trial Judge declined the application, and his order was first upheld by the Appellate Court and then by the Revision Court. It is these orders that have given rise to this petition under Article 185(3) of the Constitution.

2. The Courts' refusal is supported by the observations of the Privy Council in Kishori Lal v. Chunni Lal (31 All. 116 at page 122). Their Lordships of the Privy Council have referred to the practice, which sometimes seemed to obtain in some Courts of calling /the party's opponent as a witness. They have observed that this practice is highly objectionable. "Such a practice," said their Lordships, "ought never to be permitted in the result to embarrass judicial investigation." In another case titled Mahunt Shatrugan Das v. Bawa Sham Das and others (AIR 1938 PC 59), the Privy Council reiterated that the practice of calling the defendant as a witness to give evidence on behalf of the plaintiff is condemnable.

3. Based on the precedents cited above, we may say that it is a bad practice for parties to refrain from entering the witness box when they are in a position to give personal evidence. Therefore, the first defendant in the suit, giving rise to this petition, is expected to provide personal testimony in support of her case. If she does not appear without sufficient cause, it will amount to suppression or withholding of evidence, and the Court will be entitled to draw an inference against her.

4. Be it noted that, in the facts of the present case, if the first defendant fails to appear in the witness box, allowing the plaintiffs to compel her presence by the issue of a witness summons would still be objectionable. Such a practice places the examination and cross-examination of a witness in the wrong hands, hinders fair trial, and obstructs justice.

5. That seems to be the effect of the orders made by the Courts below. As a result, we do not find infirmity in the orders and are poised to uphold them.

6. This petition is dismissed, and leave is accordingly refused.