Nizam of Hyderabad’s family wins UK court case against Pakistan

The London court case regarding the Nizam of Hyderabad Mir Osman Ali Khan’s fortune in National Westminster Bank has been resolved in favour of the descendants of the Indian Royal, and not Pakistan.

The money causing the dispute had been deposited by the Nizam in 1948 in a UK account held by the high commissioner of Pakistan. Over the years, the initial amount of £1 million has now grown to £35 million. According to Pakistan, the country had been given the money to procure arms, but the family of the Nizam claims otherwise. The descendants maintained that the Nizam had deposited the money in the account only temporarily during the annexation of Hyderabad in 1948, but Pakistan refused to return the amount as promised when the time came.

“The court today made it clear that it did not think the money was handed to Pakistan outright. There is overwhelming evidence that Pakistan only held the money as a trustee and it actually belonged to the Nizam,” Paul Hewitt, the lawyer representing the Nizam’s family, told the BBC.

“We welcome the judgment of Justice Marcus Smith,” Najaf Ali Khan, the Nizam’s grandson, said, “The High Court has rightly rejected Pakistan’s claim. The family has long awaited this judgement.”

Pakistan has the right to seek appeal in the matter. If not, the money will be transferred to the Nizam’s family and the State of India, as per the ruling.