LAHORE - The Lahore High Court on Thursday heard a petition against proposed privatisation of the Pakistan International Airline (PIA) and directed the petitioner to provide information about the process for privatisation of government institutions.

Advocate Nabeel Javed Kahloon had filed the petition, alleging that the government had decided to privatise the national carrier and was going to sell it out to a company of its choice. He alleged that Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi who also owns a private airline in the country, has vested interest in privatisation of PIA. Referring to previously sold institutions like Pakistan Steel Mills and Pakistan Telecommunication Limited (PTCL), the counsel submitted that privatisation of the state-owned institutions had caused a great loss to the country and the proposed privatisation of PIA will further the same. He prayed to the court to stop the federal government from selling out national career as it will hit the larger national interest.

The court of Justice Shahid Mobeen adjourned the further hearing till January 25 and told the petitioner to come up with detailed information about the procedure and steps relating to privatisation of a public institution.

B-FORM FOR 9TH CLASS STUDENTS

Justice Ayesha A Malik of the Lahore High Court on Thursday reserved verdict on a petition that challenged condition of B-Form for students appearing in 9th class examination of the board.

Earlier, the court had reserved the judgement on students’ petitions and subsequently it allowed request of the Punjab Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education to file a reply. The board filed its reply on Thursday.

Students’ counsel Sheraz Zaka submitted that this condition of B-Form had been imposed on 9th class students. He said there was no requirement of B-Form for students appearing in examinations of class 5th and 8th.

He said that requirement of B-Form was a violation of fundamental rights, as it amounted to fleecing the poor students by providing the same against the payment of Rs2,000 each. He said that board authorities should be directed to inform under what authority of law B-Form is mandatory for appearance in exams since nothing in black and white from the competent authority was on the ground on this count.

He said that when birth certificate already showed the origin and nationality of the students why B-Form requirement had been imposed on students who had to face immense difficulty.

A law officer said that this was the board requirement as it was the prerogative of the board to regulate the mechanism of ninth class exam.

The judge after hearing the arguments reserved the judgement.

Earlier, the judge had given interim relief to students of 9th class and allowed them to sit education board’s examination without the B-Form issued by the NADRA.

CHRISTIAN DIVORCE ACT

Punjab Commission on Status of Women Chairperson Fauzia Waqar on Thursday urged the Lahore High Court to uphold an earlier decision by the court to restore Section 7 of the Christian Divorce Act 1869, which enabled Christian men to divorce their spouses without using the charge of adultery.