LHC: Court cant dictate govt on BBs monument

LAHORE The Lahore High Court Wednesday observed the court could not dictate the government on matters like construction of Mohtarma Benazir Bhuttos monument from the public exchequer at the place of her martyrdom at Liaquat Bagh, Rawalpindi, and dismissed the petition earlier filed in this regard. The division bench headed by Chief justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry rejecting the petition of advocate Feroz Shah Gillani observed it was not for the court but the government or the parliament to determine who was a national hero or whose monument should or should not be built from the public money. We can not dictate the government on such matters, the court added. It may be recalled the court had reserved judgment on January 19 which was announced last day. The petitioner relying on media and other reports had alleged the government was going to build monument of Ms Bhutto at the said site spending Rs 1 billion from the national kitty. The report submitted by the federal government had described Benazir Bhutto as a towering personality enjoying international fame as such she was a national hero, who embraced martyrdom while struggling for democracy. And for that her memorial was being built at the place where she was martyred on December 27, 2007. The petitioner on the other hand termed Benazir Bhutto a leader of PPP and not a national hero and contended if PPP had any desire to build her monument the party should do it from its own funds.