Reply sought on plea against detaining visually-impaired persons

LAHORE:The Lahore High Court on Monday sought a reply from the Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) on a petition against an incident of detaining job-seeking visually impaired persons in a shelter home.

A citizen filed the petition and contended through a counsel that visual impaired persons were on roads for their rights and fulfillment of promises the government had made to them.

However, he said, the police at the behest of the government illegally detained the protesters in a Panagah and did not let them go out from the facility. He alleged that the police also manhandled the visually impaired persons and mocked at them.

The petitioner submitted that the act of the police was illegal and a violation of the fundamental rights. He asked the court to order action against the police officials involved in detaining the visual impaired persons and manhandling them. The court directed the CCPO to submit a reply to the petition along with statistics of visual impaired persons and their health condition. The hearing was adjourned for one week.

PHA DG summoned: The Lahore High Court on Monday summoned Director General of Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) in person while issuing a stay order on installation of 132-KV transmission line near Jallo Park for Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) for which trees had been felled by the authorities. Previously, Chief Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh had stayed felling of the trees on Canal Road by Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) for installation of the transmission line. However, the court was informed on Monday that the stay order had been violated by the authorities.

The chief justice expressed dismay over the noncompliance and summoned director general of Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) in person.

An official of the PHA told the court that compensation had been paid to the government against the trees felled for the transmission line. The CJ, however, observed that the money could not be the substitute for the trees. He observed that all over the world the transmission lines were now laid underground to protect the trees.

A lawyer for the Lesco requested the court not to stay the installation of the transmission line; however, the chief justice simply turned down it. The chief justice directed the respondents to submit detailed replies on next hearing. He was hearing the petitions by civil society member Imrana Tiwana and others challenging felling of trees along greenbelt of the canal near Jallo Park area by the Lesco with the permission of forest department.