LAHORE - In what is probably the first petition of its nature, a senior lawyer has moved a petition in the Lahore High Court against the government’s efforts to get assistance from the foreign countries.  The same petition also seeks an end to what it calls the royal protocol being availed by the prime minister and cabinet ministers.

Advocate AK Dogar says “begging is haram” in Islam while Pakistan has become like an international beggar. He wants the court to stop the government from seeking foreign assistance.

He also claimed that government functionaries take their meals at five-star hotels at a time when children are dying of starvation in Thar. The petitioner wants the ministers enjoying protocol be proceeded against by the NAB.

Justice Aminuddin Khan, after initial hearing, has issued a notice to the federal government for March 13.

It may be pointed out that the PTI government has got billions of dollars from various countries to improve the state of economy. 

Another petition has been moved against the inclusion of some traders’ names on the exit control list.

The petitioner’s counsel said the move was without any legal justification.

A deputy attorney general sought time to offer the government’s point of view.

However, Justice Muhammad Farrukh Irfan Khan asked him why the government had put traders in the dock.  Who would invest in the country if traders were treated like this, he remarked.

The judge further said the government could not provide jobs to all jobless and that it was the private sector that was shouldering the responsibility.

The court sought reply from the interior secretary.

While taking up another petition, the LHC ordered scrutiny of the allowances being given to the principals of all government hospitals. In case they were found to be inconsistent with the law and rules, the same would be clawed back, said a two-judge bench.

Dr Fayyaz Ranjha raised the matter through a petition. He said he was not being given the allowance he was entitled to.

The health secretary told the bench that the petitioner was not given the allowance as the hospital’s management board had not approved the same.

The matter has been adjourned for a week.

The LHC has also sought a report from the Lahore CCPO regarding the security of courts and petitioners.

A petition pointed out that the Feb 9 murder in a Lahore court was the result of a lax security.

It demanded that deployment of agile police cops for courts.

Meanwhile, the LHC chief justice has declared Feb 23 a holiday for judges working on the principal seat and benches for Multan, Rawalpindi and Bahawalpur.

This is the day on which elections of the Lahore High Court Bar Association are scheduled to be held.

Court dismisses plea for unfreezing Paragon bank accounts

An accountability court on Wednesday dismissed an application for unfreezing Paragon City Housing Society’s bank accounts, reported APP.

Judge Syed Najamul Hassan Bukhari heard the application filed by Paragon City Managing Director Brig (r) Alam Zaib.

During the hearing, a counsel on behalf of Paragon City submitted that two bank accounts of the company had been

freezed on National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) request.  He submitted that as a result of the step, the company caught into financial crisis and it was not able to pay for utility bills and employees’ salary. He pleaded with the court for issuing directions to unfreeze the bank accounts.

However, NAB’s prosecutor opposed the request and pleaded with the court to dismiss the bail. But, the court after hearing detailed arguments of the parties dismissed the application.