High Court bans underage driving in City

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday directed Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) to ensure strict compliance of law regarding ban on driving of children less than 18 years of age.

Hearing a case against unorganised traffic, Justice Ali Akbar Qureshi further directed the traffic police to secure undertaking from the parents of underage drivers.

During the course of hearing, the court was told that road accidents had gone up due to noncompliance of traffic rules as a large number of underage drivers are driving vehicles with impunity. Justice Qureshi asked the CTO to seek affidavit from the parents of underage drivers at first instance and in case of violation of undertaking, the traffic police should require surety bonds from the parents.

blackbucks: Chief Justice Lahore High Court Muhammad Yawar Ali on Wednesday sought personal appearance of chairperson of Blackbucks Commission Dr Pervez Hassan for submission of wildlife policy for the protection of blackbucks.

The chief justice observed that the Punjab government was liable for extinction of blackbucks and ruled that the ban on hunting blackbucks in the entire province of Punjab would continue. The chief justice was apprised by the Forest Wildlife Department that unfortunately blackbuck specie has become completely extinct in the entire province due to hunting and deaths of blackbucks due to natural reasons. The court will resume hearing on October 25.

AGP appointment: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday showed annoyance over delay in appointment of Advocate General Punjab and sought a report from secretary law within two days.

2Justice Ibadur Rehman Lodhi was hearing a case regarding validity of sub-committees in district government and a provincial law officer was required to render assistance on law points. However, no law officer appeared during the hearing which annoyed the judge.

When asked, some bar members present in the court told the judge that the new government had taken the charge of the provincial affairs almost a couple of weeks ago but the post of the advocate general had not been filled so far. They said the office of the advocate general had been working on ad hoc arrangements.

The judge was further informed that there was a complete uncertainty in the office of the advocate general and the law officers already working there were not certain as to whether they will continue with their responsibility or some other arrangements will be made.

Justice Lodhi observed that uncertainty at the advocate general office was resulting in poor representation in the courts on behalf of the provincial government. The judge issued a notice to the Punjab law department with a direction to secretary law to file a detailed report on the matter by September 14 (tomorrow).

The caretaker government in the province had appointed senior lawyer Imtiaz Rasheed Siddiqui as Advocate General Punjab who tendered his resignation two days after the July 25 general election. Since his resignation, the Pakistan Tehreek—e-Insaf-led government is yet to appoint a regular principal law officer of Punjab.

smuggling: An additional district and sessions court on Wednesday adjourned the hearing of a heroin smuggling case against a Czech model who was arrested at Lahore airport while allegedly trying to smuggle 9 kilogram heroin.

The court adjourned the hearing by September 18 as the complainant of the case, a Customs inspector, couldn’t appear before the court due to his illness.

According to details, 21-year-old Tereza Hluskova, a Czech model, was attempting to smuggle heroin from Lahore to aboard but was intercepted by Customs officials. During inspection, it was revealed that she was carrying 9 kilogram heroin with her.

Later, an alleged facilitator of the women was also arrested who was identified as Tariq. According the facilitator, Tereza was sent to Pakistan by his brother’s friend and it wasn’t her first visit.

The model, in her statement, said that she was in Pakistan for modeling purposes and did not know who put heroin in her luggage.