LHC stays auction of Toshakhana articles; issues notice to AGP

LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan stayed the auction of Toshakhana articles and issued notices to the attorney general of Pakistan for a reply on behalf of the federal government Tuesday.

A citizen, Adnan Paracha, argued through his counsel that the government had decided to sell the articles of Toshakhana through auction to the officers of the federal government and armed forces only. He said the process for the auction was sheer discriminatory and unlawful. He asked the court to set aside the impugned process and order the government to also allow common citizens to participate in the auction. After hearing the initial contention, the chief justice observed that prima facie the process of the auction was in violation of Article 25 of the Constitution, which envisages equality of the citizens. The chief justice remarked that the non-transparency was evident at the first step of the auction process. “Is only the bureaucracy eligible to buy these items”? the chief justice posed a query to the government, adding were the rest of the people insects in the country. He observed that the government’s decision of selling the Toshakhana items to its officials only was like a blind man distributing sweets but among his loved ones only. The chief justice suspended the notification of the auction till further orders and sought a reply from the government on the next hearing. The auction was scheduled for November 25.