LHC summons CM on compliance plea
Lahore High Court. PHOTO: FILE
Lahore High Court’s Justice Shujaat Ali Khan has summoned Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on a petition seeking implementation of earlier directions regarding the publication of Holy Quran.
The judge had issued the directions while disposing of an earlier petition.
During the hearing, an FIA official contended that the investigation agency had conducted a raid in Chanabnagar but the police officials concerned were not fully cooperating.
When the Chiniot DPO was asked about the matter, he told the court that the FIA did not complete the due process while conducting raids.
The petitioner’s counsel implored the court that certain directions had been complied with, while most were not implemented.
The judge summoned the chief minister for ascertaining his view on the matter on November 8 at 1pm.
The court had given 18 directions to the authorities concerned.
It declared that the federal and provincial governments should ensure availability of a standard copy of Holy Quran along with its literal translation at the federal, provincial, district and Tehsil levels, duly approved by the Quran Board.
It said the federal and provincial governments should take steps to ensure that only the printers and publishers authorised by the board were allowed to print the Holy Quran and other religious books of Muslims. “Furthermore, each page of the Holy Quran be embossed with name of the publisher/company in order to eliminate the possibility of replacement of any page at a subsequent stage.”
The court had called for ensuring that only the websites that are registered with the PTA and possess a certificate from the board regarding authenticity of the religious material be allowed to display it online.
Every printer and publisher should put a certificate at the end of each copy of Holy Quran to the effect that it is 100% compliant with the copy approved by the Quran Board. The contact details of the board should be printed on every copy, the court stated.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 6th, 2021.