Notice issued in Kasur abuse case

LAHORE

A division bench of the Lahore High Court Tuesday issued a notice to accused and complainants in Kasur child abuse case on a petition of the Punjab government against the removal of anti-terrorism sections from the case. 

On March 1, ATC Judge Ch Muhammad Ilyas had ordered dropping anti-terrorism charges from the case while accepting application of the accused. The bench headed by Justice Abdul Sami Khan of the LHC issued the notice for October 27. On behalf of the Punjab government, Deputy Prosecutor Khurram Khan submitted that the abuse case brought bad name to the country and spread horror in the province. He said so many children faced humiliation and dignity of their families was hurt. He said the police in accordance with the law put sections of the Anti Terrorism Act but the ATC court ordered dropping these charges against the law. He requested the court to order restoration of these acts. Ganda Singh Wala police had registered 31 cases against 20 accused. Of them 25 cases were registered under sections 506, 293, 387, 386 and 377 of the Criminal Procedure Code and sections of ATA. After the ATC dropped ATA sections, the cases were transferred to the court of additional district and session judge.

Lesco: The maiden meeting of newly constituted Board of Directors of Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) is scheduled to be held on Friday under strict guidelines of the Ministry of Water and Power, it was learnt here on Tuesday.

Unlike previous practice, the board of directors of the power utility would meet after getting approval from the ministry regarding its agenda while the minutes of the meeting would also be issued after getting nod from the ministry high-ups.

Hence, all the affairs of the Lesco board would now become administratively centralised. The Ministry of Water and Power has issued instructions virtually clipping powers of the new board.

The federal government reconstituted the Board of Directors of Lesco a couple of weeks back following prolonged tussle with the previous board of directors on several issues. The 10-member reconstituted BoD now has six independent members from private sector and four government officials. It is a clear departure from previous routine when all the BoD members were nominated from the private sector, said sources.

The independent members of BoD are: Brig (r) Badr-uz-Zaman, Tara Uzra Dawood, Abdul Qayyum Malik, Irfan Akram, Zafar Usmani and Nawaz Kasuri. The government will be represented by Punjab Energy Department secretary, a deputy secretary/joint secretary/additional secretary Ministry of Water and Power, a deputy secretary/joint secretary/additional secretary from Finance Division and the Lesco chief executive. The new members will elect their chairman among themselves in the upcoming meeting, it is learnt.

scheme: The Punjab government Tuesday approved Rs 497.750 million development scheme of civic facilities for Sheranwala Gate, Fazal Park and adjoining localities in Lahore. 

The scheme was approved in the 22nd meeting of Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) of current fiscal year 2016-17 chaired by the Punjab P&D Board Chairman Muhammad Jahanzeb Khan. 

According to spokesman for P&DD, the approved development scheme of Urban Development Sector is included provision of clean drinking water, sewerage system and PCC.