LAHORE - The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday stopped concerned authorities from charging money for using facilities of shoe keeping, toilets and parking at shrines managed by the Auqaf and Religious Affairs Department Punjab.

LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan passed the orders while hearing a petition filed by a citizen, Haq Nawaz, against lack of facilities at mosques and shrines.

At the start of proceedings, the chief justice questioned whether the report about donations of shrines had been submitted. He further questioned a provincial law officer whether the amount was charged for shoe keeping and using toilets from persons who came to offer prayers. He asked under what law the amount was being charged.

The chief justice remarked that charging for shoe keeping was equal to stopping the persons from entering the shrines. Golra Sharif shrine administration did not charge any money for shoe-keeping, he added.

To which, the provincial secretary Auqaf submitted that details of income had already been submitted in the court whereas the services were outsourced to improve the standards. However, the chief justice observed that he went to Iran and witnessed that no amount was being charged for shoe and luggage keeping at shrines.