LAHORE - The LHC sought reply from the federal and provincial governments about ban on export of donkey hides and details of cases of donkeys theft in the province.
A law officer appeared before the court and submitted that the federal government after knowing about the theft of donkeys and illegal supply of their meat into the market had imposed a temporary ban on export of the hides.
The court was hearing the petition of a Chinese company seeking directions for Kasur police to hand over 1015 donkey hides which it taken into custody about two months back.
Petitioner Ho Longbin, a representative of Chinese company Globin, pointed out that on September 06, Kasur police raided their tannery in Deen Garh and confiscated 1015 hides and registered an FIR under section 270, 429 and 379 of PPC against three of their workers.
He said Chinese people trading animal hides from last 20 years from the local market of Kasur and the practice is continuing. As the police have mentioned in the FIR that the hides belonged to some Pakistani men which is incorrect and these hides are belonging to him, the petitioner said.
He said the hides are a perishable item which cannot be preserved fro an indefinite period and it has already been two months passed and the hides are destroying and getting completely waste which is not only causing him a huge loss of Rs 40 million not only in terms of finances but mental as well as physiological as the petitioner came to Pakistan for the purpose of investment and business and it is turning out to be otherwise where the petitioner is being looted by the police. He said has nothing to do with the meat of donkeys
He said he approached the judicial magistrate and then an additional district and sessions judge for direction to police for handing over him the hides but in vain. He requested the court to issue directions to the police to hand over the hides to him.
After hearing the arguments, Justice Erum Sajjad Gul of the LHC issued notice to the federal and provincial government and put off hearing until November 17.
Meanwhile, two citizens were allowed to become party in the petition .
Earlier, representing the public at large, two citizens had moved an application to become a party in a petition filed in the Lahore High Court by a Chinese citizen for seeking superdari of donkey hides recovered during a raid conducted by police on September 5, 2015 from Kasur.
Nisar Ahmad Seikhu and Muhammad Saeed had filed the application through their counsel Advocate Ch Shoaib Saleem which is fixed for hearing before the court of Justice Irum Sajjad Gull on Monday.
They had pleaded that that the matter was of public interest as the donkey meat had been provided to the public at large under the garb of illegal business of export of donkey hides.
They said the accused had cheated the public and also violated the law of the land by dealing in illegal business of selling donkey meat and hides had also spoiled the local hotel industry in the country.