LAHORE - The Lahore High Court yesterday issued notices to the Lahore district coordination officer (DCO) and Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) director general, in a petition challenging women’s pictures in billboards and other ads.
Shahrukh Siddique, a local citizen, filed the petition, saying billboards with women’s pictures had been installed in the city. Women in ads and pictures were being shown as products for marketing and promotion of different companies, said the petitioner.
He also said it was equivalent to the exhibition of women, adding the trend was increasing day by day. He averred billboards with pictures of women were morally wrong and tantamount to disrespect of women, besides being against the teachings of Islam. He alleged these boards were installed without the permission of the departments concerned.
The petitioner pleaded the pictures of women on advertising billboards were causing a serious moral degeneration, especially among youth. He said the exhibition of the women on the roadside hoardings was also against the teachings of Islam.
The petitioner prayed to the court to order the authorities concerned to remove these hoardings from the city.
After hearing initial arguments, Justice Mirza Viqas Rauf issued notices to the DCO and the PHA DG and adjourned further hearing for March 24.