LHC takes suo motu of rallies on The Mall

LAHORE

A Lahore High Court senior judge on Thursday took suo motu of frequent rallies and processions on The Mall in violation of a judicial order and sought an explanation from the Punjab chief minister about compliance of the order while issued show-cause notices to the DCO, DIG Operations and chief traffic officer of Lahore.

Justice Ibadur Rehman Lodhi took the notice after he and other judges failed to reach the high court in time on Thursday morning due to a protest outside Punjab Assembly, causing a traffic jam on The Mall. DIG Operations Haider Ashraf, CTO Tayyab Hafeez Cheema and legal adviser of district government on behalf of DCO Muhammad Usman appeared before the judge on a short notice.

The adviser said the DCO was busy in meeting of the provincial cabinet. Justice Lodhi observed that by not appearing before the court despite a clear direction, which was duly conveyed to DCO according to Advocate Iftikhar Ahmad Mian, the DCO, on a false plea of his participation in a cabinet meeting of which he was by no stretch of imagination was a member, committed another contempt. Along with the show-cause notice which had already been ordered to be issued, the DCO will also explain his willful absence from the proceedings of the court, the judge said in the order. 

The judge appointed Additional Advocate General Khawar Ikram Bhatti as prosecutor in the matter while Advocate Ahmed Waheed Khan was appointed as amicus curiae for future proceedings. The judge directed the registrar office to prepare a separate file in the matter to place the same before the court on the next hearing, October 27.

 “Punjab Chief Minister is also directed to show as to what steps were taken by him in compliance of directions contained in order passed on November 2, 2011,” the judge said in the order.

EPA: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah on Thursday directed the director general of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make the central environmental laboratory functional within three months. The CJ also directed the DG and Punjab chief secretary to submit performance report in this regard after a month. The CJ issued this order on a petition seeking directions to make the central laboratory functional which is mandatory under the law.

EPA DG Javed Iqbal appearing before the court submitted that an amount of Rs 158 million had been allocated for the labs and PC-1 of the plan was also prepared. He said that within one month the labs would be functional on the previous orders of the court. The CJ also directed the Punjab chief secretary to inform the court after one month when the labs would be functional.

Advocate Sheraz Zaka on behalf of petitioners Zubair Niazi  and Muhammad Naeem submitted that enforcement of environmental laws had been adversely affected keeping in consideration the federal government ratified Paris Agreement in 2015 to curb emissions. Sheraz Zaka further submitted that Lahore is becoming one of the most polluted cities and public functionaries were negligent of their duties as the EPA was functioning without a central lab.