Rule of law: LHC issues notices in Doongi Ground case

The commissioner and top LDA officials summoned.

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday issued notices to Punjab chief minister and some other officials for their replies to a contempt of court petition filed against them for allegedly violating court orders.

Justice Ayesha Malik issued notices to Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, LDA Director General Ahad Cheema, the LDA chairman Noorul Amin Mengal, then commissioner Jawad Rafique and Punjab Entertainment Company Managing Director Mohiudin Wani for their replies till February 20.

Advocate Muhammad Azhar Siddique, the petitioners’ counsel, requested the court to issue another restraining order to stop construction on the site.

Justice Malik remarked that if contempt of court was found, she would order demolition of the construction.

The petitioner told the court that government was not submitting its reply despite several notices.

Earlier, the petitioner stated that a full bench of the Lahore High Court had ruled on September 16, 2011 against the conversion of Doongi Ground into an IMAX theatre. He said the government and its departments had not complied with the orders and started construction on the ground. The lawyer said that a contempt of court petition was filed before the court when the construction did not stop.

He said when the petition was filed, the government sped up the construction on the site. He requested the court that all the construction should be declared illegal.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17^th, 2014.