LAHORE: A 68-year-old overseas Pakistani woman suffering from cancer and multiple sclerosis has appealed to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for intervention in an ancestral property dispute, alleging that delays in proceedings have deprived her and her disabled husband of timely justice.

In her appeal, Seema Rashid, a Canadian resident, said she and her 70-year-old husband, Abdul Rashidul Khairi, were both completely disabled senior citizens and were battling serious illnesses.

She said she was undergoing treatment for cancer and multiple sclerosis, while her husband was suffering from lymphoma and esophageal cancer and had undergone a major surgery.

The woman said their medical conditions and physical disabilities made it impossible for them to travel to Pakistan or pursue prolonged litigation from abroad.

Seema said their partition of property suit (No.3612422925) was covered by the Punjab Establishment of Special Courts (Overseas Pakistanis) Property Act, 2025. However, she alleged, the court had failed to provide the relief sought under the law, allowing the opposing party to prolong the dispute.

The woman said she had also sent a medically-supported petition to the chief justice of the Lahore High Court, but had so far received no response or relief.

In her appeal to the chief minister, she urged the provincial government to intervene through the deputy commissioner and the director of the Overseas Pakistanis Complaint Cell to ensure day-to-day hearings and a decision in the case within two weeks.

She also called for implementation of the safeguards provided under the 2025 law to protect overseas Pakistanis from alleged delays and property-related exploitation.

The woman described the intervention as her last resort, citing the couple’s critical health conditions and inability to pursue the case in person.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2026