Serving people and advancing one’s own cause

After years of complaints, applications and unfulfilled promises, it seems that some of Hajj pilgrims’ problems will be solved as the Lahore High Court chief justice wants the Hajj Group Organisers to make their Hajj experience worth remembering.

It seems that CJ Umar Ata Bandial would take the matter of granting quotas to organisers to a logical end by ensuring that pilgrims are provided all the facilities they are promised.

On May 30, the CJ ordered the Ministry of Religious Affairs to set a consistent criterion for Hajj organisers to be allotted quotas. The organsiers would have to ensure provision of basic facilities to the pilgrims. These include provision of food and conveyance from hotels to the Haram.

The CJ warned the organisers not to allow a repeat of what happened to pilgrims during previous years.

The petitioner had challenged the allocation of quota to operators without verifying their credibility. The ministry has a record of previously allocating quota to 726 operators in a day and of allocating quotas for 192 pilgrims to new operators despite court orders of 5,000 pilgrims.

Punjab Textbook Board

‘No one can be the judge of his own cause’ is an established maxim of law.

A writ petition filed last week accused caretaker Chief Minister Najam Sethi of a conflict of interest when he barred the Punjab Textbook Board from bidding a contract for a textbooks at the request of the Pakistan Publishers and Booksellers’ Association.

As PPBA chairman, Sethi had filed a representation before former chief minister on June 12, 2012, requesting the same relief. No action was taken on the application.

After taking charge as the caretaker chief minister, Sethi approved the ban request in April. This time the request came from PPBA vice chairman Saleem Malik.

The ban was challenged in Justice Shujjat Ali Khan’s court by PTB employees’ union general secretary Mohammad Akhtar Sherani.

Notices have been issued. The case would be heard in the coming weeks.

Retired judge for back benefits

On May 31, the LHC chief justice sought replies from the Auditor General and the Accountant General of Punjab on a petition in which the petitioner complained about not getting his post-retirement benefits, including pension.

This petition might become a precedent for hundreds and thousands of retired people facing similar problems in receiving pensions. Let’s see how many of them now come forward to seek relief.

A close escape

A couple that married without the consent of their families reached the LHC seeking cancelation of a kidnapping FIR registered by the woman’s parents against the man.

Little had they known what was in store for them at the court. As soon as they left the court, after the judge allowed the woman to go with her husband, her family attacked them.

An exchange of blows, abuse and kicks among the two sides followed.

Substandard CNG Kits

The LHC issued a prudent order on May 30 banning commercial vehicles using substandard CNG kits in the province. It also ordered the Ministry of Petroleum to apprise the court about equipment related to fuel being used in commercial vehicles.

The CJ also sought a report on the Gujrat school bus fire incident- in which 17 children and a teacher were killed- by June 10. The petitioner expressed concerns on the respondent ministry allowing use of the fuel gas in commercial vehicles “without any planning and policy or standards for use”.

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Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2013.