LAHORE - A writ petition was filed in the Lahore High Court on Friday challenging purchase of a luxurious special vehicle “Reefer Container” against a colossal amount of Rs 3.35million just for serving food to the Punjab chief minister and other VVIPs.
Advocate Shoaib Saleem filed the petition submitting that in a poor country like Pakistan where the people were deprived of basic and fundamental rights to education, health, clean drinking water, protection to their persons and property, a special vehicle was being purchased for the chief minister. He said it was the discrimination and violation of Article 25 of the Constitution.
The petitioner-lawyer also annexed a notification issued in this regard with his petition saying that the personal secretary to chief minister requested the S&GAD secretary for purchasing a special vehicle “Reefer Container” amounting Rs 3.35million for the comptroller wing of Chief Minister’s office for the supply of food stuff in the meetings of the VVIPs and the chief minister having the facility of hot and cold storage.
Moreover, the petitioner said that the S&GAD secretary also suggested model specification for the proposed ‘Reefer Container” and it was further requested that the case might be processed for purchase of said ‘van’ for the chief minister’s office on top priority basis and the said summary was prepared and forwarded by suffocating and compromising all the rulers and regulations suggested/issued by the Punjab Secretary Finance. He annexed the issued notification No FDSO (GOODS)44-4-/2011 dated August 06, 2013.
The petitioner requested the court to restrain the Punjab government from purchasing luxurious special vehicle “Reefer Container” for providing food to the Punjab chief minister and VVIPs.
Notification of Acting Governor’s
appointment sought
Lahore High Court has sought copy of the notification issued regarding the appointment of Punjab Speaker Punjab Assembly Rana Muhammad Iqbal as Acting Governor of the province.
Munir Ahmad, the petitioner, had filed the petition through Advocate Azhar Siddiqu seeking direction for the authorities concerned to appoint such a person as governor who met the criteria and requirements as laid down in the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973.
The petitioner filed the petition that after the resignation of former governor Chaudhry Sarwar and appointment of caretaker governor is not only in conflict with the provision of the Constitution but also against the basic nomenclature, scheme and structure of the Constitution, therefore, the appointment of caretaker/Governor is not only an act of illegal nature but violation of the mandatory provisions of the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973 as well.
He further said that the appointment of Speaker of the Provincial Assembly as Governor has a very limited scope and the Constitution specifically laid down them in the Article 104 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, which relates to illness, visit abroad or unable to perform his function due to any other cause.
He further said that the Governor would be appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister. “A Governor is qualified to be elected as a Member of the National Assembly and also he is required to be a registered voter and resident of the province concerned,” the petitioner stated.
He prayed the court to direct the acting Governor of Punjab to explain under what authority of law he holds the said office and by issuing the writ of Quo Warranto by this Court the said respondent may be directed to be removed from his office and direction may be given to the concerned respondents for appointment of Governor, who fulfills the criteria and requirements as laid down in the Constitution.