The petitioner had maintained that the CAA was collecting Rs20 from visitors with the exemption of certain officials and individuals which was unfair. PHOTO: FILE
The Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench on Wednesday directed the chief of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the defence ministry to submit their replies in response to a public interest petition challenging the visitors’ fee charged at Benazir Bhutto International Airport.
The public interest petition was filed two years ago by Barrister Sajjad Ahmed. Speaking to The Express Tribune, the petitioner’s counsel Raja Saimul Haq Satti said the CAA had claimed that it was collecting the fee with permission from the defence ministry.
The reply did not satisfy the court which asked the defence ministry to submit its reply on the next date of hearing.
Justice Ijaz Ahmed fixed the case for March 11.
Earlier on February, the bench had stopped CAA from collecting Rs20 from individuals, which the authority began to charge in 2008.
The petitioner had maintained that the CAA was collecting Rs20 from visitors with the exemption of certain officials and individuals which was unfair.
He had contended that the Competition Commission of Pakistan had taken note of this illegal practice and directed the CAA to stop discriminatory fee collection. Visitors other than the driver have to pay for their visit.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 28th, 2013.
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