LAHORE - The Lahore High Court yesterday directed Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) to ensure transport facility for disabled visitors of Cosmopolitan Club in Bagh-i-Jinnah from main entrance of the park to the club.
A citizen had filed the petition through his counsel Advocate Sheraz Zaka and pointed out that parliamentarians were allowed to take their vehicles to the last entrance of the cosmopolitan club. Whereas, he said, there were no pick and drop facility for disabled persons and they were not allowed to enter the park and club in their cars.
The petitioner and other disabled members of the club had to park their cars in the parking area far away from the club’s entrance and reached the club on wheelchairs or other supports. The counsel said the petitioner could not walk as he had undergone three spine surgeries. He said the law regarding disabled persons was there but needed to be implemented.
However, the PHA counsel argued that if the petition was allowed the government had to provide the required facility in all parks.
After hearing initial arguments, Justice Shahid Karim observed that if parliamentarians could enjoy the facility then why not the disabled persons. The judge directed the PHA to provide pick and drop facility on permanent basis for the disabled persons keeping into consideration Article 9 of the Constitution. Further hearing was adjourned till April 13.
Meanwhile, the LHC suspended a sessions court’s order that required registration of a case against the District Police Officer Okara allegedly involved in manhandling lawyers. A division bench headed by Justice Mirza Viqas Rauf passed the order on an appeal filed by DPO Okara Faisal Ali Rana. The officer had challenged the order of a single bench.
The officer through his counsel contended that the impugned order of the FIR was issued in haste and without hearing their point of view. He stated that the DPO had not tortured any lawyer but ordered a case against some lawyers for severely beating up a 59-year-old ASI in court premises allegedly for not giving them favour in a case investigation.
The officer told the bench that the complainant side (lawyers) filed an application to police for the registration against the DPO and a petition before the sessions court on the matter on same day.
He said the sessions court passed the impugned order without issuing notice to the other side.
His counsel asked the court to set aside the order of the court. After hearing both sides, the bench suspended the order and sought reply from the respondents.
Plea against MPA: The Lahore High Court yesterday overruled an objection by the registrar office on a petition challenging election of PML-N, Punjab Assembly member Mian Tariq.
Ijaz Chaudhary of PML_Q from PP-113, Gujrat, had filed the petition and stated that office rejected his petition. He said it was the authority of the court and not of the office. He requested the court to overrule the objection of the registrar office.
The petitioner through his counsel Fayyaz Mehr advocate stated that Mian Tariq Mehmood had assets in Belgium but he concealed all these facts from the Election Commission of Pakistan while submitting his nomination papers . He stated he used to do job in Belgium despite that he was MPA in the previous tenure of the government. He alleged that Mian Tariq had Belgian’s passport and residence permit but he did not mention it in his nomination papers which showed he was dishonest. Thus, he had committed violation of Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution and did not qualify to be member of the provincial legislative assembly.
He requested the court to declare him disqualified for holding public office and being member of assembly.