| Citation(s) |
|---|
| 2026 SLG 3719 = 2026 SLD 3719 |
(W.P No.948 of 2024)
Presented By: (MUHAMMAD ASIF) JUDGE
Date of hearing : 22.04.2025. Petitioners by : Syed Hamid Ali Shah, Advocate.
Respondents by : Ms. Shaista Tabbasum, AAG a/w Mr. Shajjar Abbas Hamdani, Advocate for respondent No.2
M/s Jubilee Life Insurance Company Limited
VS
. Office of the President of Pakistan (Public), Islamabad etc.
Law: Constitution of Pakistan 1973
Section: 199
Law: Federal Ombudsmen Institutional Reforms Act, 2013
Section: 14, 24, 2(c)
Law: Insurance Ordinance, 2000
Section: 127(1)(b), 90
Case Summary
The petitioner, Jubilee Life Insurance Company Limited, challenged the order of the President of Pakistan dated 08.12.2023, whereby the President set aside the order of the Federal Insurance Ombudsman (FIO) and directed the insurance company to refund Rs.1,650,000 to the policyholder (Respondent No.2).
The dispute arose when Respondent No.2 surrendered two life insurance policies due to financial hardship and sought a refund of the premiums paid. His complaint was initially placed before the Small Dispute Resolution Committee (SDRC) of SECP, which recommended a settlement. Subsequently, the Respondent approached the Federal Insurance Ombudsman, but the Ombudsman declined jurisdiction under Section 127(1)(b) of the Insurance Ordinance, 2000, holding that the matter had already been decided by the SDRC.
The President, exercising powers under Section 14 of the Federal Ombudsmen Institutional Reforms Act, 2013, held that the SDRC is merely an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) forum and not a court, tribunal, or board. Therefore, the FIO wrongly refused to entertain the complaint. The President set aside the Ombudsman's order and directed the insurance company to refund the premium amount.