Punjab

Bitter rivalry: SHO stopped from harassing ice cream joint owner

Petitioner Muhammad Ahmad said his employees had never donned outfits similar to those of Chaman Ice Cream employees

Our Correspondent September 30, 2015

PHOTO: AFP

LAHORE:

The district and sessions judge on Tuesday instructed the Qila Gujjar Singh SHO to desist from harassing the proprietor of Al-Jannat Ice Cream in connection with an FIR registered by a rival businessman.

Petitioner Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad said his employees had never donned outfits similar to those of Chaman Ice Cream employees. He said an FIR had been lodged against him at Qila Gujjar Singh police station on the aforementioned pretext. Ahmed said it had been alleged in the complaint that his employees used to wear similar shirts to those of Chaman Ice Cream waiters to deceive customers and compromise the establishment’s reputation. He said the allegations levelled in the FIR were baseless.

Ahmad said every citizen had the right to venture in healthy business activity. He said Haji Muhammad Sadiq of Chaman Ice Cream had just gotten the complaint lodged out of competition. Ahmad said he had deliberately registered the FIR on the eve of Eidul Azha to leave him vexed and damage his business.

The petitioner said a police team had arrived at their establishment early on September 19 and had started inquiring about Sheikh Muhammad Tufail, his father. Ahmed said he and his employees were bring harassed and were apprehensive of being arrested. The court directed the SHO to desist from harassing the petitioner. Sadiq had alleged in his complaint that Al-Jannat waiters used to steal custom from his establishment by wearing shirts similar to those worn by his employees. He had claimed that they used to deceive citizens by saying that they were from Chaman Ice Cream. Sadiq said Al-Jannat Ice Cream had also submitted an affidavit in Lahore High Court (LHC) affirming their commitment to ensuring that its workers did not wear shirts similar to those of Chaman Ice Cream employees only to later disregard it.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 30^th, 2015.