Iqbal Day holiday case fixed for hearing

LAHORE
The Lahore High Court on Tuesday overruled objection raised by registrar office of the court on petition against cancellation of holiday on Iqbal Day and fixed it for hearing.
Justice Khalid Mahmood Khan was hearing a petition of Farhad Ali Shah. He submitted that the interior ministry cancelled holiday on Iqbal Day through a notification. He said the government did not disclose any reason behind cancellation of this holiday and the whole nation was disturbed over it. He said the nation which forgives their national heroes can never make progress.
He said to celebrate Iqbal Day was the right of every Pakistani and the government could not stop it through a notification. He prayed the court to declare the notification for cancellation of the holiday illegal and unconstitutional and restore the holiday on Iqbal Day. The petition was fixed as an objection case before the court and the judge overruled the objection and ordered the petitioner to annex copy of the notification with petition. The LHC registrar office will fix date of hearing.
vigil attack: A division bench of the Lahore High Court on Tuesday summoned prosecution’s record in an appeal of five persons convicted for attacking participants of a candle vigil held on 5th death anniversary of Punjab’s slain governor Salman Taseer this year on January 4, at Liberty Chowk.
The convicts who challenged their conviction include Adeel, Furqan, Kashif, Iftikhar and Wazir Ali. Counsel for the appellants argued that the trial court awarded sentence to his clients beyond the facts. He said the conviction was a result of inadequate evidences. He asked the bench to set aside the conviction and acquit the appellants.
Deputy Prosecutor Khurram Khan opposed the appeal and said the trial court convicted the appellants relying on convincing evidences. He pointed out that all the convicts were identified through a video record of the attacking incident.
The bench comprising Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan and Justice James Joseph sought more arguments from both sides and asked the prosecutor to come up with complete record of the case. Next hearing would be held after two weeks.
Notice: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday issued notice on a petition challenging upcoming election of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council scheduled to be held on December 05.
Justice Shamas Mahmood Mirza issued this order while hearing a petition filed by Young Doctors Association secretary Dr Salman Kazmi.
The petitioner submitted that council had made it mandatory for all candidates to deposit Rs200,000 with nomination papers. He said the move to collect such a huge amount for nomination papers was against the law and negation of basic rules of democracy.