Bhagat Singh: LHC extends stay on renaming chowk
Petitioner alleges a strong Indian lobby was forcing the government to rename the chowk.
LAHORE:
The Lahore High Court on Wednesday extended a stay on renaming Chaudhry Rehmat Ali Chowk (Shadman Fawara Chowk) after Bhagat Singh as the city district government failed to submit its reply.
Justice Nasir Saeed Sheikh of the LHC also allowed two applications filed by social activists to become party to the case and directed the registrar office to fix the hearing of the applications on the next hearing of the main case.
Dr Taimur Rehman and Saeeda Diep had filed these applications through Advocate Yasir Latif Hamdani.
The judge adjourned the matter for three weeks.
A member of Tehreek-e-Hurmat-e-Rasool and president of Shadman trader’s union, Zahid Butt, had challenged the renaming of Shadman Fawara Chowk and the court had restrained the city district government from issuing an official notification in this regard during the last hearing.
It was alleged in the petition that the government succumbed to the pressure of ‘so-called’ human rights associations and decided to name the Chowk after Bhagat Singh.
The petitioner maintained that the government ignored reservations of the locals and established a committee named “Dilkash Lahore” to decide the name of the said chowk. The committee also decided on changing the name of the Chaudhry Rehmat Ali Chowk to Bhagat Singh Chowk and also published advertisements in newspapers, he said.
He further alleged that a strong Indian lobby and India-sponsored human rights activists were behind the whole episode and were forcing the government to change the name of the chowk.
He requested the court to stop the government from issuing a notification about changing the name of the chowk.
The Lahore High Court on Wednesday extended a stay on renaming Chaudhry Rehmat Ali Chowk (Shadman Fawara Chowk) after Bhagat Singh as the city district government failed to submit its reply.
Justice Nasir Saeed Sheikh of the LHC also allowed two applications filed by social activists to become party to the case and directed the registrar office to fix the hearing of the applications on the next hearing of the main case.
Dr Taimur Rehman and Saeeda Diep had filed these applications through Advocate Yasir Latif Hamdani.
The judge adjourned the matter for three weeks.
A member of Tehreek-e-Hurmat-e-Rasool and president of Shadman trader’s union, Zahid Butt, had challenged the renaming of Shadman Fawara Chowk and the court had restrained the city district government from issuing an official notification in this regard during the last hearing.
It was alleged in the petition that the government succumbed to the pressure of ‘so-called’ human rights associations and decided to name the Chowk after Bhagat Singh.
The petitioner maintained that the government ignored reservations of the locals and established a committee named “Dilkash Lahore” to decide the name of the said chowk. The committee also decided on changing the name of the Chaudhry Rehmat Ali Chowk to Bhagat Singh Chowk and also published advertisements in newspapers, he said.
He further alleged that a strong Indian lobby and India-sponsored human rights activists were behind the whole episode and were forcing the government to change the name of the chowk.
He requested the court to stop the government from issuing a notification about changing the name of the chowk.