Petition to stay LG elections on reserved seats rejected

LAHORE

Justice Shahid Waheed of the Lahore High Court on Tuesday turned down the opposition parties request to stay the election on local government reserved seats.

Judge declined to stay the election process as on the Punjab government counsel informed that the election commission had already issued notification of suspending the election on these reserved seats.

Judge deferred the hearing of  the main petitions challenging amendments to the Punjab Local Government (Amended) Ordinance 2016 till March 3.

The petitions had been moved on behalf of the PTI, Pakistan Peoples Party, PML-Q and PAT.

The amendments are related to the provision of secret ballot for election of chairmen and vice-chairmen of district council, municipal committee and mayor and deputy mayor of metropolitan corporation and municipal corporations was abolished. 

Petitioners had requested to declare the impugned amendments to the law null and void and restrain the ECP from conducting the forthcoming elections on the reserved seats as well as mayors, deputy mayors, chairmen, vice-chairmen of the district councils under the impugned ordinance.

suspension: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday stayed the order of Islamia University, Bahawalpur of suspending the bachelor (BA) degree of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, MNA Ghulam Sarwar Khan.

The court issued the stay order on petition of Ghulam Sarwar Khan who was elected MNA from Taxila. 

Petitioner counsel Barrister Syed Ali Zafar said that the university had suspended the MNA’s engineering diploma and bachelor's degree.

He asserted that there was no justification of suspending the BA degree as there was no complaint against it.

He also said that the decision was illegal as no notice was issued to the petitioner to defend himself.

He requested to declare this order of the university authorities illegal.

private airlines: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday sought reply from federal government on a petition against private airlines challenging increase in fares after strike by employees of Pakistan International Airline (PIA).

An advocate Imran Ghumman moved a petition alleging that the private airlines had increased the fares up to 300 percent which was unjust and illegal.

He said that these airlines had taken advantage of the crisis situation as operations of the national flag carrier are suspended due to the strike.

He submitted that these private airlines have been fanning the protests of the PIA employees to achieve their ulterior motives of earning more money.

He said that due to this increase the passengers were forced to travel on ridiculously exorbitant fares of the private airlines. 

He requested the court to order civil aviation authority to take action against all private airlines and rationalise their fares.

After hearing initial arguments, Justice Shujaat Ali Khan issued notice and sought reply from the federal government till February 25.