Hyderabad: Expressing happiness on the UK court judgement in favor of India over funds belonging to the 7th Nizam of Hyderabad, Nawab Najaf Ali, grandson of Nizam-VII, on Wednesday said he had tried for an out of court settlement with Pakistan in 2008 with regard to the disputed amount but the neighboring country did not respond.
The UK High Court on Wednesday ruled in favour of India in the decades-old legal dispute with Islamabad over funds belonging to the Nizam of Hyderabad at the time of Partition in 1947 and deposited in the London bank account of the then Pakistan High Commissioner Habib Ibrahim Rahimtoola by Nawab Moin Nawaz Jung, the Finance Minister and External Affairs Minister
This money transfer resulted in a long-standing legal battle between the heirs of the Nizam and Pakistan.
The Nizam's descendants, Prince Mukarram Jah - the titular eighth Nizam of Hyderabad and his younger brother Muffakham Jah, had joined hands with the Indian government in the legal battle against the Pakistan government over around 35 million pounds lying with NatWest Bank plc.
In his judgement handed down today, Justice Marcus Smith ruled that the " Nizam VII was beneficially entitled to the fund and those claiming in the right of Nizam VII- the princes and India- are entitled to have the sum paid out to their order."
"HEH VIII Nizam Mukarram Jah Bahadur, his younger brother Muffakham Jah, and Indian Government has won a 71 years old legal battle in London," princess Esra was also quoted as saying by Faiz Khan, a member of the Mukarram Jah Trust.
Najaf Ali Khan, the grandson of the Nizam, said, "We welcome the judgement of Justice Marcus Smith. The High Court has rightly rejected Pakistan's claim in favor of India, and the descendants of HEH The Nizam of Hyderabad. The family has long awaited this judgement."
In 2013, Pakistan commenced the fresh proceedings, thereby waiving state immunity. A Subsequent attempt by Pakistan to discontinue the proceedings was rejected as an abuse of process by the UK court.
"We are very happy that the judgement has come after seven years. It was my efforts. Since 2008," Najaf Ali said.
"I started talking to the then Pakistan High Commissioner (to India). I met then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Mr. Pranab Mukherjee was then the foreign minister. We met all these people and we wanted an out of court settlement at that time with Pakistan. But in 2013, the Pakistan government filed a petition in the court claiming that the money belongs to them, he said.
Najaf Ali said Prince Mukarram Jah currently lives in Istanbul while his bother Muffakham Jah is in London.
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