‘Vvip Culture’: Hafiz Saeed’s plea put off indefinitely

Petition argues that public spending on protocol has gone up that it violates the Constitution and Sunnah.

LAHORE: Justice Ayesha A Malik of Lahore High Court on Thursday put off indefinitely a plea moved by Jamatud Dawa chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed asking the court to “abolish VVIP culture” and asked the petitioner to advance arguments on the maintainability of the petition.

The petition, filed through counsel AK Dogar, argues that public spending on protocol has gone up to such a level that it violates not just the Constitution of Pakistan, but the Sunnah too.

The petitioner asked the court to declare special premises for state functionaries, like the Presidency and Governors’ Houses, illegal; to get elite schools like Atchison College in Lahore to open their gates to the children of the poor; to cancel all privileges like free electricity and gas at public expense; and to instruct politicians and public servants to adopt austerity in public spending.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28^th, 2013.