LAHORE - The Lahore High Court yesterday stayed the sale of dairy products by two companies, which were earlier sealed by the Punjab Food Authority.

The two firms, Millac Pvt Ltd and Premier Dairies Private Ltd, had moved the court against the authority’s action.

Punjab Food Authority Operations Director Ayesha Mumtaz appeared before Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and submitted that Millac Pvt Ltd was sealed because it had no licence.

The firm’s application has been pending with the authority since August 23, when it was seized to work, the court heard. However, the counsel claimed that the company got the licence from the Pakistan Standards Quality Control Authority and, therefore, is authorised to manufacture milk.

The court was told that the authority was posting the firm’s photos on the Facebook in violation of court order - a claim the PFA director rejected. The court found no such material on the social media site when a law officer assisted it in surfing the Punjab Food Authority’s official Facebook page.

The petitioner then referred to a link titled Ayesha Mumtaz PFA Fan Club. On which, Ayesha told the court that the authority has no links with such a page. However, the court was requested to seek help from FIA team handling cybercrimes on the next hearing.

The Premier Dairies Private Ltd was also sealed for doing business without licence.

The court observed that the manufacturing facility of the petitioner company “shall remain sealed till the next date of hearing and the petitioner company is not permitted to carry out any sales of its products in the market”.

Dismissed

The Lahore High Court yesterday dismissed an application seeking interim permission for exhibition of film “Maalik” till announcement of the order reserved on the main petition against ban on the film.

Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza passed the order and asked the applicant to wait for announcement of the reserved decision on the petition.

Abdullah Malik, a social activist, had moved the application pleading the court to lift the ban on exhibition of the film till the announcement of verdict on the petitions challenging ban on it. Previously, Justice Mirza had reserved the verdict on June 2.  In his plea, the petitioner had submitted that Sindh High court set aside the ban on the movie and allowed its exhibition.

He had prayed the court to allow exhibition till the announcement of the verdict reserved on the matter.

Meanwhile, Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza sought reply from the federal government in a petition seeking a complete ban on exhibition of Indian movies in Pakistan.

Iftikhar Thakur, the stage actor, moved the petition and submitted that Indian forces were killing innocent Kashmiris and in Pakistan, Indian movies were being exhibited in local cinemas.

He said that the money earned through Indian movies were being spent on Kashmiris which was equal to rubbing salt into the wounds of the Kashmiri citizens. He requested the court to ban exhibition of Indian movies in Pakistan. The court issues notices to the government and adjourned hearing until September 27.