LAHORE - The Lahore High Court announced a verdict on ‘parking issue’ on several petitions moved by private contractors during the last week.

The Lahore Parking Company has been ordered to devise a parking policy with proper parking spaces to meet the requirements of the provincial city. The court ruled that all parking stands whether located at shopping malls, business centres or hospitals or public places charge parking rates as notified by the city district government.

Despite several projects initiated by the city government, the private parking stands are still consuming big chunks of main roads and service lanes, causing huge traffic mess on daily basis.

As many believe people stuck in the traffic gridlocks may fall prey to terrorism, this judgment seems helpful in resolving hours-long traffic jams on the roads.

The LHC also directed Lahore Press Club to charge parking fee in accordance with devised-policy, holding that the parking rates at specified times of the day or for specified duration could vary for efficient parking management instead of aiming to simply generate revenue by prescribing a flat rate.

The court expressed dismay over mismanagement regarding parking issues in the city and observed that parking was not properly regulated; hence, the problem of availability of parking, wrong parking and encroachments doubled.

Parking policy, the court directed the LPC, should be based on the requirements of the city as it should change and evolve with the changing patterns in the usage of private and public vehicles and should consider the traffic issues of Lahore.

The court further ruled that owners of the buildings, plazas, hospitals should provide proper provision for parking within the premises of their buildings and avoid the land which has not been approved for parking purposes.

In its judgment, the court said that the LPC representatives had confessed before the court that neither they devised any mechanism to register parking contractors to standardise their function nor they did they have control over private contractors and private parking spaces.

The City Traffic Police also submitted its report before the court pointing out lack of coordination between traffic police, city government and Lahore Party Company. According to the police, parking stands in many areas create serious hindrance to the smooth flow of traffic as they have been allocated spaces in congested areas.

At this, the court ordered CDGL and LPC to work in close liaison with the traffic police and have regular meetings to give a proper system of traffic and parking to the city.

On Feb 13, Chief Traffic Officer Captain (r) Ahmad Mubeen, one of 14 martyrs of Lahore suicide attack, had reached Chairing Cross to convince the protesting chemists to leave The Mall for letting the traffic move.

Several people also believe the CTO was the prime target of suicide bomber who belonged to Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a faction of banned TTP.

On a similar issue of protests on The Mall, the LHC took up a petition and sought replies from Punjab home department and police officials.

Sheraz Zaka, the counsel of petitioner Ali Javed, contended that holding protests on The Mall was banned but the government had failed to enforce its writ due to which vulnerability of people to terrorists’ attacks increased. He said public gatherings were targetted by the terrorists as it was observed at Charing Cross and Sehwan Sharif.

The counsel argued that holding peaceful protests was a fundamental right of citizens; however, it should be as per orders of the superior courts. “Safety and protection is also the fundamental right of the citizen and when two fundamental rights conflict, then rights of the community should have primacy over the rights of the individuals as the SC held in its judgments,” he added.

He further said the protests on busy roads like Mall not only created traffic mess but also badly affected business of people which were the fundamental rights of the citizens. The counsel suggested that protests of some individuals should be banned which increased chances of more terrorists’ attacks on public.

After hearing initial arguments, Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh sought replies from the government and put off further proceedings.

Meanwhile, the LHC decided on another contempt petition filed by Traders Union seeking contempt proceedings against the violators of ban on protests on The Mall. Justice Ayesha A Malik passed the order when a law officer said that a policy had been made to ensure ban on holding the protests on The Mall.

In all these above mattes, one thing is quite clear that traffic mess, protests may lead us towards such big loss that we can’t bear. Public will continue to suffer until removal of these issues which provide a chance to the terrorists to target people on the roads.

Last week was a gloomy one for the whole nation due to a string of coordinated attacks of terror - most of which were on the roads except that one of Sehwan Sharif.

During last week, the LHC also announced a decision in a petition for holding examination of CSS of 2018 in Urdu.

The court directed the Federal Public Service Commission to ensure next CSS exam in Urdu. The commission informed the court that it had already been working on it.

Also, in the week, the LHC allowed private television channels, having valid licenses, to show Indian movies as per their terms of their agreements with Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra).

Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah granted the permission in light of Pemra’s report that states that television channel were allowed to run Indian films as per clause 7.2 (ii) as per License Establish & Operate Satellite TV Broadcast Channel Station.

The chief justice issued a written order of a last week hearing on a petition of M/S Leo Communication and others challenging the ban on the broadcast of Indian content on the televisions.

The authority’s counsel had contended that the permission would remain subject to terms and conditions of the license under the Pemra Ordinance, 2002.

The chief justice would resume further hearing on March 2.

M/S Leo Communication, which runs ‘Filmazia’, had filed the petition assailing a circular issued by the Pemra on Oct 19, 2016 for being ultra vires of the authority’s rules and the Constitution.

During the week, the LHC also ordered three sessions judges to seal three sugar mills of Sharif family if they were still operating despite restraining order of the Supreme Court. The court directed districts police concerned to accompany the sessions judges and render full support in carrying out the inspection of these mills.

On February 9, the Supreme Court had ordered to suspend operation of these sugar mills and remanded the case to the LHC on application of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) General Secretary Jahangir Tareen.