Commercial building’s construction stayed

Court displeased with absence of law on construction

LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah last week stayed the construction of commercial buildings in the Walled City.

The chief justice also ordered the preservation of the imambargah near Kashmiri Gate, near which a commercial plaza is being constructed.

The CJ ordered the Walled City of Lahore Authority to explain how commercial construction could be allowed within the Walled City.

The chief justice expressed dismay over the absence of laws on construction in the Walled City.

The judge then adjourned the hearing till September 26.

The petitioner had submitted that a place of worship was located at Kashmiri Gate and the illegal construction in the area had caused cracks in the walls of the 200-year-old imambargah. He said if the construction was not stopped, the imambargah could collapse soon. He said he had obtained a licence to organise Muharram processions from there. He said he had also sent an application to the chief minister in this regard. He said he had submitted his complaint at the Chief Minister’s Complaint Cell on November 1, 2013. He said a police superintendent was directed to look into the matter. He said that it was unfortunate that the directions of the chief minister to a senior police officer had not been implemented. The petitioner asked the court to order demolition of the plaza.

Railways

Last week, the LHC directed Pakistan Railways to upgrade the post of train guards and extend the same benefits to them which it had granted in an earlier order.

Justice Muhammad Farrukh Irfan Khan issued the order on 19 identical petitions moved by railway guards seeking directions for upgrade of their posts like other workers in Pakistan Railways. The petitioners submitted through their counsels that they were appointed as Guard Grade-I in BS-9 on the basis of their educational qualifications.

They said special ticket examiners were also appointed with the same basic qualifications but had been awarded BS-11 and BS-14 and were promoted as group inspectors and divisional inspectors.

The judge noted that in an earlier order, Lahore High Court had directed upgrade of guards’ jobs. The judge allowed all petitions and directed the railway authorities to extend the benefits to all guards within three months.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 1^st, 2016.