LAHORE - A full bench of Lahore High Court yesterday adjourned for an indefinite period the hearing of a writ petition seeking ban on MQM and registration of high treason case against the MQM chief.

The LHC bench postponed the hearing as head of the bench Justice Mazhar Ali Akbar Naqvi was unavailable.
Previously, the bench had given time to the petitioner for filing rejoinder to reply written arguments submitted by Altaf Husain’s counsel Asma Jahangir. In written reply, the respondent’s counsel had stated that no person or institute could lodge high treason case and it was only authority of the federal government.

The counsel further said that the petitioners were not aggrieved persons for registration of high treason case and as such the petition was not maintainable. The reply further stated that restriction on speeches of Altaf Hussain were violation of the constitution. No restriction could be imposed on right of speech, the counsel held.
On Sep 7, 2015, the bench had imposed ban on Altaf Hussain speeches while hearing three identical petitions moved by Maqsood Awan, Abullah Malik and Aftab Virk seeking ban on media coverage of the MQM supremo in wake of his statements against state institutions including Army, Rangers and others.

TEACHERS’ CONVEYANCE ALLOWANCE: Meanwhile, the LHC suspended the impugned notification of stopping conveyance allowance to teachers during summer or winter vacations.

Justice Sajjad Mehmood Sethi issued notice to the provincial government for May 16 on a petition moved on behalf of the Punjab Teachers Union.

The petitioner’s counsel said that the government had put ban on payment of this allowance which was unjust and discriminatory. He maintained that there was not such cut on salary for the employees of other government departments.

Musa Gillani’s case: The Lahore High Court yesterday gave one-day time to the authorities to submit arguments in a petition of ex-MNA Ali Musa Gilani, challenging his name on Exit Control List (ECL).

Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh passed the order and directed the petitioner’s counsel to come up with arguments on the petition today (Tuesday).

In his petition, the son of ex-PM Yousaf Raza Gillani had submitted that the ministry had on May 15, 2013 put his name on ECL over the mere allegations against him in Ephedrine case.

He held that it had already been proved that petitioner was innocent. Gillani further alleged that the interim government had put his name on the ECL after nursing a grudge against him as he and his father were criticising the interim government over the kidnapping of his brother, Ali Haider Gilani.

He requested the court to order interior ministry to immediately remove his name from the ECL.