LAHORE - Another application was moved to the Lahore High Court on Saturday, challenging recent increase in petroleum prices.

Pakistan Justice Party filed the application through Azhar Siddique advocate in an already pending writ petition challenging powers of the government to revise prices and sales tax from monthly basis to fifteen days without the authority of Parliament.

The petitioner submitted that the government was playing fraud with the nation and had not been stating true facts. “Petroleum prices across the world are on decreasing trend but the situation in Pakistan is different,” he stated.

Siddique said that by doing so, the government was exploiting the public and committing violation of the Constitution. The federal government had also failed to protect the fundamental rights of citizens, the petitioner added. He further submitted that the government increased sales tax of petrol from 17 per cent on diesel from actual rate of 17 per cent to 28.5 per cent although the sales tax could not be charged over and above 17 per cent. The petitioner prayed that the notifications regarding charging of sales tax over and above 17 per cent and recent increase in POL prices be set aside.

ADR CENTERS TO BE ESTABLISHED ACROSS PUNJAB

Lahore High Court Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah on Saturday visited Alternate Dispute Resolution centre and appreciated the work of judges there.

The CJ said that people were intending towards ADR centers for inexpensive and timely justice; therefore, the number of mediators would soon be increased. It was a great success to resolve the matters of the public through dialogue and arbitration, he stated.

CJ Shah said that the ADR centers had been increased from two to three in Lahore following the public interest. During the month of March, a number of cases were decided through arbitration.

He further said that 72 judges would get the training of mediation at Punjab Judiciary Academy and thus, the ADRs centers would be established throughout Punjab. All the district and sessions judges of Punjab had been directed to promote the idea of arbitration so the people could get timely and inexpensive justice.

“We have to end the backlog of cases and therefore, many steps are being taken for this purpose,” Mansoor Ali Shah said.

Some 1294 cases had been decided through Criminal Justice System in different districts of Punjab, he said. He also admired the prosecution as well as lawyers for their support to make ADR centers successful.