LHC rebukes CM over ‘misplaced priorities’

Court irked over stopping budget for stubble machinery

LAHORE:

Lahore High Court’s (LHC) Justice Shahid Karim criticised caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi over prioritising the inauguration of development projects over his obligation to assist with elections.

Meanwhile, Justice Karim turned down a request of one-hour extension in closure of the bakeries in night hours especially in the month of Ramazan. However, Justice Karim issued notice to the Punjab chief secretary and P&D chairman by March 7 observing why the contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them.

A notice was issued to them for stopping the budget for modern machinery that was intended to be used for crop stubble management. Justice Karim also restrained the WAPDA from cutting trees in Lahore.

Justice Karim was hearing different petitions about how smog could be controlled, society could be made polluted free and ground-water could be protected from wastage. As the proceedings commenced, Justice Karim remarked that the caretaker CM’s obligation is to provide assistance in elections rather than inaugurating the development projects which purely is not his work.

Earlier proceedings

The court earlier had imposed a ban over cutting trees in Lahore city and educational institutions observing legislation should be made declaring the tree cutting a serious nature offence.

The court also restrained the environment department from issuing NOCs for any project caused the loss of trees.

The court instructed the restaurants to close by 11pm on three days of the week (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday), while the markets will remain open on Sundays. Schools in Lahore were also instructed to close for three days every week.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 4^th, 2023.