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The Lahore High Court has granted relief to renowned singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in a hereditary property dispute case by restoring his appeal that had earlier been dismissed by a trial court over non-payment of court fee.

Justice Muhammad Sajid Mahmood Sethi issued an eight-page verdict, setting aside the trial court’s decision and directing the singer to deposit a fine of Rs100,000.

According to the judgment, Rahat Fateh had filed a civil suit in Faisalabad seeking confirmation of possession of a double-storey house. A civil court had issued a decree against him on May 14, 2019, following which he challenged the decision before the trial court.

However, the trial court dismissed the appeal on technical grounds due to non-payment of court fee amounting to Rs15,000. The singer later approached the LHC against the ruling.

The LHC observed that dismissing an appeal merely on the basis of non-payment of court fee was against the principles of justice. It noted that the petitioner had been given only four days to submit the fee, which was insufficient.

The judgment stated that the right to appeal is a valuable legal right and should not be denied solely because of technical defects. The court stressed that appeals should be decided on merit rather than on procedural shortcomings.

The LHC also directed the trial court to decide the appeal on merit within two months without unnecessary delay.

It ordered Rahat Fateh and all other parties to appear before the court on June 2.

Originally published in Dawn, May 30th, 2026