LAHORE - The Lahore High Court yesterday issued notice to the federal government on petition against cancelation of holiday on Iqbal Day and fixed it for preliminary hearing before a bench.
Justice Khalid Mahmood Khan of the LHC passed the order and adjourned hearing until January 1, 2015.
Farhad Ali Shah, a member of the Punjab Bar Council, filed the petition submitting that the interior ministry cancelled holiday on Iqbal Day through a notification.
He stated that the ministry did not give any reason behind cancellation of this holiday and the whole nation is worried over it.
He said that to celebrate the Iqbal Day was the right of every Pakistani and the government could not stop it through a notification.
YOUTUBE CASE: An application has been filed in the Supreme Court (Lahore registry) for early hearing of petitions challenging ban on Youtube in the country.
Barrister Zafarullha Khan of Watan party has filed the petition and submitted that students and researchers are facing an irreparable loss due to long ban on Youtube. He says that the ban on access to this useful website is tantamount to keep citizens away from modern technology and knowledge.
He said this through this ban; the government is trying to push the country in dark ages. He said the ban on YouTube is against Article 19 of the constitution. He prayed the court to fix the already pending petition before it for early hearing and declare the ban as illegal.
On May 13, 2014, the LHC had advised the petitioner, Bytes for All, to approach the Supreme Court for its direction to the government on banning the website. In the meantime, the LHC had stopped proceedings on the petition for restoration of access to the website.