Chief secy to meet petitioner for temple restoration
Jafree had said butchers’ shops had been set up in a Jain temple in Gujranwala.
On May 26, the judge directed the chief secretary to listen to the petitioner’s concerns and pass an order on the issue within a month. PHOTO:FILE
LAHORE:
Following the orders of the Lahore High Court, a petitioner, Barrister Jawaid Jafree, will hold a meeting with the Punjab chief secretary on Monday (today) regarding the restoration of Jain temples in the province.
Jafree had petitioned for the temples’ restoration. Justice Mansoor Ali Shah had issued notices to the federal and provincial government for their responses. On May 26, the judge directed the chief secretary to listen to the petitioner’s concerns and pass an order on the issue within a month.
Jafree had said butchers’ shops had been set up in a Jain temple in Gujranwala. He said the temple was part of the architectural and cultural heritage of Pakistan, apart from being a place of worship for a religious minority He said Pakistan’s heritage was being destroyed, which was forbidden by the Constitution. Jafree said the Jain temple in Old Anarkali had become dilapidated, and the land mafia in the area had opened up shops in it.
He said Jain temples in other parts of Pakistan were also being desecrated. He requested the court for directions to save the places of worship.
‘Politicians’ foreign assets must return to Pakistan’
The LHC sent notices to 24 politicians through a proclamation in newspapers asking them to submit their responses to a petition demanding that their foreign assets be brought back to Pakistan.
The respondents included Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his wife Kalsoom Nawaz and son Hussain Nawaz, PTI Chairman Imran Khan and his ex-wife Jemima Khan, former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani and his wife, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, former president Asif Ali Zardari, Malik Riaz Hussain of Bahria Town, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Ijazul Haq, Humayun Akhtar Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Faisal Saleh Hayat, Pervez Elahi, PML-Q chief Shujaat Hussain, Sindh Governor Ishratul Abad, Ghulam Mustafa Khar, Rehman Malik, Fazlur Rehman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, former president Pervez Musharraf, PPP senator Aitzaz Ahsan, his wife Bushra Aitzaz, and advocate Asma Jahangir.
Govt asked to submit wildlife import record
The LHC directed the Punjab government to submit the records of licenses issued for importing tigers and other wild animals during the past five years.
The court gave the order on a petition by social worker Faryal Gohar and others against the exhibition of wild animals during public gatherings.
The petition was first filed in 2013 challenging the exhibition of a white female tiger by the PML-N during election rallies.
The petitioners then expanded the petition to include the import of all wild animals and their exhibition in public.
Bagram detainees to meet families
The LHC directed the Ministry of Interior to arrange 10 Pakistani citizens recently released from Bagram prison in Afghanistan to meet their families within 10 days.
The court issued the order after the ministry admitted that the citizens had been released from captivity from Bagram jail and had been handed over to Pakistani authorities.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 26th, 2014.
Following the orders of the Lahore High Court, a petitioner, Barrister Jawaid Jafree, will hold a meeting with the Punjab chief secretary on Monday (today) regarding the restoration of Jain temples in the province.
Jafree had petitioned for the temples’ restoration. Justice Mansoor Ali Shah had issued notices to the federal and provincial government for their responses. On May 26, the judge directed the chief secretary to listen to the petitioner’s concerns and pass an order on the issue within a month.
Jafree had said butchers’ shops had been set up in a Jain temple in Gujranwala. He said the temple was part of the architectural and cultural heritage of Pakistan, apart from being a place of worship for a religious minority He said Pakistan’s heritage was being destroyed, which was forbidden by the Constitution. Jafree said the Jain temple in Old Anarkali had become dilapidated, and the land mafia in the area had opened up shops in it.
He said Jain temples in other parts of Pakistan were also being desecrated. He requested the court for directions to save the places of worship.
‘Politicians’ foreign assets must return to Pakistan’
The LHC sent notices to 24 politicians through a proclamation in newspapers asking them to submit their responses to a petition demanding that their foreign assets be brought back to Pakistan.
The respondents included Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his wife Kalsoom Nawaz and son Hussain Nawaz, PTI Chairman Imran Khan and his ex-wife Jemima Khan, former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani and his wife, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, former president Asif Ali Zardari, Malik Riaz Hussain of Bahria Town, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Ijazul Haq, Humayun Akhtar Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Faisal Saleh Hayat, Pervez Elahi, PML-Q chief Shujaat Hussain, Sindh Governor Ishratul Abad, Ghulam Mustafa Khar, Rehman Malik, Fazlur Rehman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, former president Pervez Musharraf, PPP senator Aitzaz Ahsan, his wife Bushra Aitzaz, and advocate Asma Jahangir.
Govt asked to submit wildlife import record
The LHC directed the Punjab government to submit the records of licenses issued for importing tigers and other wild animals during the past five years.
The court gave the order on a petition by social worker Faryal Gohar and others against the exhibition of wild animals during public gatherings.
The petition was first filed in 2013 challenging the exhibition of a white female tiger by the PML-N during election rallies.
The petitioners then expanded the petition to include the import of all wild animals and their exhibition in public.
Bagram detainees to meet families
The LHC directed the Ministry of Interior to arrange 10 Pakistani citizens recently released from Bagram prison in Afghanistan to meet their families within 10 days.
The court issued the order after the ministry admitted that the citizens had been released from captivity from Bagram jail and had been handed over to Pakistani authorities.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 26th, 2014.