In a landmark decision promoting gender equality within rural governance, the Lahore High Court (LHC) has overturned the appointment of a male candidate as the ‘permanent lumberdar’ of a village in District Lodhran. Presiding over the case, Justice Raheel Kamran declared that a female candidate, Kalsoom Akhtar, was the rightful heir to the office, citing that the previous denial of her merits was legally unsupported and “arbitrary.”
Case Background: A Battle for Legacy and Merit
The legal dispute began following the death of Nawab Din in September 2020, who had long served as the permanent lumberdar of Chak No. 360/W.B in Tehsil Dunyapur. His daughter, Kalsoom Akhtar, who had already been performing duties as the ‘Sarbarah lumberdar’ since 2002, applied for the permanent position.
Despite her years of experience and familial ties to the role, the local administration initially passed her over in favor of a male candidate, Muhammad Azam.
The “Community” Mark Controversy
The core of the legal battle centered on a technicality regarding community standing.
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The Petitioner’s Argument: Akhtar argued she was unfairly awarded zero marks in the “community” category. Authorities had claimed she belonged to a “third-tier sub-caste” of the Gujjar tribe, while the male respondent was labeled as part of the “majority community.”
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The Court’s Finding: Justice Kamran debunked this classification, noting that since all primary candidates belonged to the Gujjar community, dividing the tribe into sub-classes to dock marks was an “artificial and technical interpretation.”
The judge pointed out the logical flaw in the district collector’s reasoning: if Akhtar’s lineage was considered outside the dominant community, then her father’s previous long-term appointment as lumberdar would have been equally invalid—a contradiction the court termed “intrinsically self-defeating.”
Championing Constitutional Equality
Beyond the technicalities of revenue law, the LHC judgment serves as a powerful statement on women’s rights in public office. Justice Kamran emphasized several key points:
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No Gender Bar: The court clarified that no Pakistani law prevents a woman from holding the office of lumberdar.
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Proven Capability: Akhtar was no stranger to the role, having assisted her father and managed administrative duties for over two decades.
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Constitutional Ethos: The judge remarked that rural governance benefits significantly when capable women break into roles historically dominated by men.
“Any latent bias, direct or indirect, which diminishes a woman’s candidature for reasons unrelated to merit, cannot be tolerated,” Justice Kamran stated in the verdict.
Final Verdict and Orders
The LHC has officially set aside the orders previously issued by the Member Board of Revenue and the Deputy Commissioner of Lodhran. The court has declared Kalsoom Akhtar the permanent lumberdar of her village and directed revenue authorities to issue the formal notification within 30 days.
This ruling reinforces the constitutional values of equal opportunity and ensures that merit—rather than gender or sub-caste divisions—remains the standard for administrative appointments in Punjab.
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