Zaeem refused exemption from personal appearance

LAHORE

A full bench of the Lahore High Court Wednesday denied Punjab Minister Zaeem Qadri exemption from personal appearance in proceedings of a case regarding illegality in establishment of Lahore campus of Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan.

Dismissing the request, Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, who heads the bench, observed that the BZU sub-campus scandal appeared to be the largest of education sector in the country’s history. The advocate general of Punjab made the request on behalf of the minister.

At the outset of the hearing, counsel of the university told the bench that students were being enrolled except who were admitted to physiotherapy programme due to unavailability of faculty and affiliated teaching hospital.

At this, Justice Naqvi expressed dismay over the government’s failure to timely respond to the protesting students’ concerns. He said after securing future of the students the court would expose the real hands involved in the scandal.

The bench adjourned hearing till Jan 30 and summoned higher education commission chairman, secretary higher education department and BZU vice chancellor.

warrants: The Lahore High Court Wednesday issued bailable arrest warrants for LDA director general for not appearing before the court despite repeated notices issued to him. 

Appearance of the DG was required in a petition filed by a citizen for the implementation of the court’s order. The petitioner pleaded that the court had directed the DG to provide him with duplicate documents of his property as he had lost the original. He said several months had passed but the orders were yet to be complied with.

LDA DG Zahid Zaman again failed to tender his appearance before the court of Justice Farrukh Irfan Khan leading to issuance of his arrest warrants. The judge adjourned hearing till Feb 9. Another court issued bailable warrants for the arrest of sub-registrar, Kasur, Ghazanfar Naveed Ch for not appearing before the court.