LAHORE - The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) informed the Supreme Court yesterday that rules had been amended to form a high-powered commission to check violation of laws in construction of high rise buildings.
A two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar held proceedings on suo moto notice taken in 2007 against high-rise buildings in Lahore.
During the hearing, the counsel of LDA stated that the new commission would be constituted within two days and this commission would be more powerful than the previous one. The counsel said that plazas’ owners were violating buildings bylaws by constructing shops at places fixed for emergency exits.
However, lawyers of plazas pleaded the court to set aside a fine imposed by the commission. After hearing both sides, the bench directed the LDA to submit a detailed report about all high rise buildings including the plaza in question within three weeks.
Seed Act case
The Lahore High Court issued notices to the Centre and Punjab government on petitions challenging the Seed (Amendment) Act, 2015 and the Plant Breeders’ Rights Act, 2016.
The petitions, filed by an NGO Sojlha through Ahmad Rafay Alam, were fixed before Chief Justice Mansoor Ali Shah. The petitioner submitted that the Seed (Amendment) Act, 2015 and the Plant Breeders’ Rights Act, 2016 are unconstitutional, violate fundamental rights and completely ignore farmers’ rights recognised by Pakistan under various international agreements. The petitioner said that Pakistan is signatory to the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and the Convention on Biological Diversity, both of which recognise and protect Farmer’s Rights.
Farmers’ Rights are traditional rights farmers have on the seeds or the propagating material of plant varieties. This right arises out of the important role farmers around the world have been playing for thousands of years by selecting and conserving varieties of different crop plants that are cultivated for food and/or as cash-crops. The court will take up connected petitions on January 17.
Notices issued to govt
The Lahore High Court issued notices to the federal and Punjab governments on a petition challenging the constitution of public sector companies and appointment of some Members of Punjab Assembly.
During the proceedings, Sheraz Zaka, a lawyer, had challenged formation of four public sector companies including the Punjab Saaf Pani Company, the Lahore Waste Management Company, the Lahore Transport Company, Punjab Agriculture and Meat Company and Lahore Parking Company.
In his petition, the lawyer-petitioner said that under companies’ ordinance, these companies cannot be formed because it was federal subject. The petitioner stated that the non trading companies restricted to one province can only be formed by a provincial law as stated in the fourth schedule of the Constitution.
Hence, public sector companies whose operations are confined to one province cannot be formed by a federal law under the companies’ ordinance 1984.
At this, Chief Justice syed Mansoor Ali Shah, who took up the matter, observed that if the formation of these public sector companies is declared illegal and unconstitutional then the members of the provincial assembly functioning there as directors would also be restrained from working.
Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court chief justice asked the Attorney General of Pakistan and Advocate General Punjab to assist the court on a petition challenging transferring administrative control of four regulatory authorities to the respective ministries.
Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah passed the order while hearing a petition filed by Advocate Sheraz Zaka against control of Nepra, Pepra, Ogra, and Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) given to their respective ministries.
During the process of selection, conservation and cultivation, farmers have gained extensive knowledge of each variety and provided the world with invaluable genetic resources which are the foundation of all hybrid and genetically modified varieties being introduced in the market under stringent intellectual property rights held by agrochemical corporations.
In addition, this knowledge base of each variety available with farmers is highly valuable to modern scientific improvement as the genetic diversity of plants. It makes the contribution of farmers to plant genetic diversity as important as the contribution scientists make by developing modern plant varieties.
Farmers’ Rights are therefore are recognised and protected under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.