The Appellate Division has published full judgment of the Vested Property Act, excluding some observations and directives given by the High Court. An Appellate Division bench, comprised of four justices and headed by Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, released the 34-page verdict on Saturday.

On November 23, 2017, the High Court had issued a ruling after Abdul Hai, a former government employee, filed a public interest writ challenging the Vested Property Act.

Later, the High Court settled the rule and gave a number of observations and directives – such as no property can be listed as vested property in future, formation of a tribunal for the settlement of vested property in each district, establishment of an appellate tribunal in each district – to dispose of cases by the tribunal within a specified time, excising the Limitation Act, and implementation of verdict by tribunal or Appellate Tribunal within a specific time.

The High Court also gave directives for using the unclaimed vested property in the possession of the government for welfare of the people, to include the names of original owner of the property on which various institutions are built by formulating necessary laws, to compensate the owner by law in case of all the vested property which is irrevocable.

After concluding hearing on a petition filed by the land ministry challenging the High Court’s observations and directives, on June 2 this year, the Appellate Division gave its verdict excluding some of the observations and directives of the High Court.