LAHORE - The Punjab government Tuesday told the Lahore High Court that the current ban on appointments from BPS-5 to BPS-15 is a policy matter of the government and the court did not have jurisdiction under the law to proceed against such matters. This was stated through a report submitted by the Additional Advocate General on behalf of the Punjab government before the court of Justice Umar Ata Bandial on a petition challenging ban on fresh recruitments in the province. The report stated the ban will be lifted at some appropriate time in view of the improvement in overall economic condition of the country which is hit hard by devastating floods. The ban on recruitments from grade 5 to 15 was imposed keeping in view the feeble condition of the economy, the report said. It added that national exchequer cannot afford burden of new appointments for the time being so the petition challenging the ban was not maintainable, hence be dismissed. The petitioner counsel did not appear as he was abroad. The court adjourned the hearing till his return to the country. Alamgir Khan advocate had filed the petition stating that the government put a ban on the recruitments which has resulted in massive increase in unemployment in the province. He said young educated people were getting themselves involved in criminal and immoral activities due to joblessness. Petitioners lawyer pleaded that the government was constitutionally bound to provide jobs to citizens but after ban, the fundamental right of the citizens have been violated. He prayed that the government be directed to lift the ban immediately and give on-merit jobs in provincial departments. Tractor crushes 40-year-old to death A 40-year-old security guard was crushed to death by a rashly-driven tractor-trolley here in Hanjarwal area, police said on Tuesday. Noor Muhammad, security guard at a private factory, was going back to his residence when a speeding tractor-trolley ran over him. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors pronounced him dead. The driver along with the vehicle managed to escape from the scene. The police are investigating.