Tag: Lahore High Court

  • Lahore High Court stops planting of palm trees on highways and motorways

    Lahore High Court stops planting of palm trees on highways and motorways

    Lahore High Court has stopped the planting of palm trees on highways and motorways, reports Geo.

    Justice Shahid Karim of Lahore High Court heard the petitions of citizen Haroon Farooq and others for the remedy of smog, during which DG Environment told the court that pollution does not stay on palm leaves as they grow better in hot areas. It has not been successful on motorways and highways in Islamabad.

    During the hearing, Justice Shahid Karim stated that there should be an investigation into the renovation and decoration of the underpasses in Lahore. “Who has earned the money for the renovation of the underpasses,” the court inquired. The judge then observed that the underpasses have become stranger than before, looking like a joke. He said that the strange lights which were installed in there went off on the first day.

    Justice Shahid Karim added that water should not be wasted as reports are indicating that the previous resource will run out by 2026- 2027. What steps did WASA take to install water meters, the court asked members of the water commission. He was informed in response that one year is required to install water meters.

    Later, the court ordered the DG Environment to stop the planting of palm trees on highways and motorways.

  • No surveys; PEMRA to take action against media channels violating ECP’s Code of Conduct

    No surveys; PEMRA to take action against media channels violating ECP’s Code of Conduct

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has officially communicated with the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), seeking strict action against media channels found violating the established code of conduct for the upcoming February 8 polls.

    The letter explicitly points out the airing of voting surveys by certain media channels. This practice, as per the ECP’s Code of Conduct for National Media, is prohibited under Clause 12.

    According to Clause 12, individuals working in print, electronic, and social media are prohibited from obstructing the election process and are required to display accreditation cards provided by the Election Commission.

    The ECP emphasized that both print and social media should refrain from conducting polls and surveys at polling stations or constituencies. The electoral watchdog stated that such activities have the potential to influence voters’ free choice and may disrupt the electoral process.

    The letter stated, “Given the seriousness of this issue, I am directed to state that PEMRA shall take prompt and appropriate action against the electronic media channels in strict alignment with Clause 12 of the Code of Conduct for National Media. A compliance report in this regard be also shared with this office as soon as possible for placing it before the Election Commission.”

    The ECP’s comprehensive 18-point code of conduct for media during elections includes provisions preventing the dissemination of content that reflects opinions prejudicial to the sovereignty, uprightness, or security of Pakistan. It also prohibits statements that could harm national solidarity or create a law and order situation.

    The regulatory framework extends to personal attacks on candidates or political parties in media content, mandating that any allegations should include comments from both sides. Monitoring responsibilities are delegated to Pemra, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, Press Information Department, and the Cyber Wing and Digital Media Wing of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

    The ECP further emphasized that these authorities are accountable for monitoring political parties’ and candidates’ coverage during election campaigns through electronic channels, print, and social media. Details of payments made by political parties and candidates must be submitted within 10 days after the poll day.

    The Election Commission of Pakistan warns that, in case of any violation of this Code of Conduct, it reserves the right to withdraw accreditation from individual journalists or media organizations. The authority to determine violations also rests with the electoral body. The media is also prohibited from airing unofficial results of a polling station until one hour after the close of the poll during the polling process coverage.

  • Canal and wuzu water to be used to sprinkle on roads

    Canal and wuzu water to be used to sprinkle on roads

    The Lahore High Court has directed the Water And Sanitation Agency (WASA) to use stored canal and ablution water for sprinkling the roads to combat dust, reports Geo.

    Justice Shahid Karim of Lahore High Court heard petitions for remedying smog, in which federal government’s lawyer Asad Bajwa. appeared in the court.

    During the hearing, the court said that in light of the commission’s report, WAPDA should take immediate action against the industries, the stored water of the canal, and ablutions should be used for sprinkling the roads. If not, WASA will be responsible for violating the court orders.
    The court said that keep things simple and not make things difficult, set new resolutions and targets for the new year, in the new year we have to commit to keeping the environment of the world clean.

  • Hassaan Niazi is up for contesting elections

    Hassaan Niazi is up for contesting elections

    Hassaan Niazi, prominent leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and ex-prime minister Imran Khan’s nephew, has officially declared his intention to participate in the upcoming general elections.

    The decision was revealed as his mother filed a petition in the Lahore High Court, seeking approval for his nomination papers.

    The petition argued that, with the Election Commission having announced the election schedule, Hassan Niazi remains eligible, having neither faced disqualification nor conviction; he is presently in custody.

    The legal plea urged the court to grant permission for the completion of Hassan Niazi’s nomination paper for the submission process.

    It further proposes a meeting between the court commissioner and Hassan Niazi to facilitate the verification or rejection of the nomination papers.

    The move sets the stage for a potentially dynamic political scenario, with Hassan Niazi’s candidacy poised to shape the unfolding electoral landscape.

    The Case

    A Lahore anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday granted the police two-day transit remand of the focal person of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and ex-prime minister Imran Khan’s nephew, Hassaan Niazi.

    The police had produced Niazi in the court seeking his transit remand to take him to Karachi, where he is wanted in connection with sedition charges registered against him.

    The case against Niazi was registered on the complaint of a citizen named Muhammad Iqbal at the Jamshaid Quarters police station.

    According to the first information report (FIR), Niazi was involved in inciting people to revolt against national institutions and attempting to provoke disharmony in a video on social media.

    The statement had allegedly created anger and distress among the masses.

    During the hearing, the prosecution argued that Niazi’s presence was required in Karachi for further legal proceedings.

    Therefore, the court approved the request for a two-day transit remand, allowing the police to take Niazi to Karachi for progress in the case.

  • Who owns Tehzeeb Bakers? Baking giant lands in legal battle

    Who owns Tehzeeb Bakers? Baking giant lands in legal battle

    The Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) issued a significant ruling on Tuesday, redefining certain elements of partnership in a family business.

    The decision came in response to a petition filed by two brothers, Shaukat Ali Noon and Arshad Ali Noon, against the control and ownership of a business outlet managed by their three siblings.

    The petitioners approached the LHC, seeking either the liquidation of the family business or a court decree granting them an equal share in it.

    The case involved the family’s business journey, starting with a bakery in Rawalpindi in 1947 and evolving into Rahat Bakers, later renamed Tehzeeb Bakers due to legal disputes among the family members.

    As per the petition, the deceased father of the petitioners and respondents initiated the business, and after his demise, joint business efforts commenced.

    The dispute arose when the petitioners claimed that they were entitled to a 20 per cent share in the business based on partnership deeds dating October 29, 1994, October 28, 2002, and December 2, 2011.

    They alleged that the respondents changed the business name and registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) without providing them their due share.

    During the court proceedings, Saqib Shafique, advocate for the petitioners, argued that the business, generating daily sales revenue exceeding Rs40 million, was not honoring the agreed-upon shares.

    On the other side, Advocate Kashif Ali Malik, representing Khalil, countered that the petitioners were never legitimate members or shareholders and presented allegedly forged documents.

    The court, in its observation, highlighted the requirements for intervention under Section 286 of the Companies Act, emphasizing the need for a member with at least 10 per cent of the issued share capital and a demonstration that the company’s affairs are being conducted unlawfully.

    Moreover, the next requirement is that such a member or creditor has to satisfy the court by making an application that the affairs of the company are being conducted unlawfully.

    The court pointed out that the law defines the modes of becoming a member of a company, firstly by subscribing to a memorandum; secondly by allotment of shares, and thirdly by entering their name in the register of members of a company in terms of Section 119 of the Companies Act.

    It pointed out that the documents provided did not establish unlawful conduct, and thus, the petitioners couldn’t be declared partners due to a lack of compliance with the legal prerequisites.

    The court’s ruling sets a precedent in defining the criteria for partnership claims in family businesses and emphasizes adherence to legal requirements in such disputes.

    Companies Act 2017

    Section 119 – Register of members.—(1) Every company shall keep a register of its members and any contravention or default in complying with requirement of this section shall be an offence punishable under this Act.
    (2) There must be entered in the register such particulars of each member as may be specified.
    (3) In the case of joint holders of shares or stock in a company, the company’s register of members shall state the names of each joint holder. In other respects joint holders shall be regarded for the purposes of this Part as a single member and the address of the person named first shall be entered in the register;
    (4) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable to a penalty of level 1 on the standard scale.

    Section 286 – Application to Court.—(1) If any member or members holding not less than ten percent of the issued share capital of a company, or a creditor or creditors having interest equivalent in amount to not less than ten percent of the paid up capital of the company, complains, or complain, or the Commission or registrar is of the opinion, that the affairs of the company are being conducted, or are likely to be conducted, in an unlawful or fraudulent manner, or in a manner not provided for in its memorandum, or in a manner oppressive to the members or any of the members or the creditors or any of the creditors or are being conducted in a manner that is unfairly prejudicial to the public interest, such member or members or, the creditor or creditors, as the case may be, the Commission or registrar may make an application to the Court by petition for an order under this section.

  • Election candidates can submit their nomination papers by tomorrow

    Election candidates can submit their nomination papers by tomorrow

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will start receiving nomination papers from expected candidates tomorrow as the upcoming general elections are set to take place on February 8 next year in the country, The News has reported.

    District Retuning Officers (DROs) and Returning Officers (ROs) will take oaths today as per the Election Act of 2017. After that, the process of receiving nomination papers will start.

    A day earlier, at least 859 ROs completed their training for the upcoming polls while 144 DROs will complete their training today. The training of DROs and ROs was halted on December 14 after the stay order of Lahore High Court (LHC) on a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) petition against the appointment of officers.

    However, the Supreme Court (SC) suspended the LHC order and directed the ECP to release the election schedule as well as restore the training of DROs and ROs.

    Candidates who want to take part in the upcoming general elections can submit their nomination papers to their respective ROs from December 20 to December 22.

  • ECP releases election schedule after Supreme Court order

    ECP releases election schedule after Supreme Court order

    After the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) suspended a Lahore High Court (LHC) order staying the appointment of Returning Officers (ROs) from the executive branch, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) released the much-awaited election schedule on Friday night, affirming that general polls in Pakistan are set to take place on February 8 next year.

    ECP will now resume training ROs and District Returning Officers (DROs).

    The election programme extends to reserved seats for women and non-Muslims in the National Assembly (NA) as well as the four provincial assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan.

    The election schedule was released late at night in accordance with the directives of the SC.

    Earlier, the Lahore High Court (LHC) stayed the notification of the appointment of DROs and ROs from the bureaucracy and halted their training.

    The LHC announced its judgement in response to a petition submitted by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

  • Lahore High Court sets free convicts of life imprisonment in Kasur child abuse scandal

    Lahore High Court sets free convicts of life imprisonment in Kasur child abuse scandal

    Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday acquitted three convicts serving life imprisonment in the Kasur child abuse scandal of 2015.

    The scandal came to light eight years ago when a gang was arrested for involvement in making videos of the sexual abuse of at least 280 children. The criminals were accused of blackmailing the families of the kids, threatening them to leak the videos unless they paid ransom.

    The acquittal of the convicts was announced by a bench of two judges, led by Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry.

    One of the counsels, Abid Hussain Khichi while speaking to Dawn, said that the court had released his clients after accepting their pleas.

    According to the council, a total of six primary suspects had been implicated in the case, with three having been released earlier, while the remaining three were acquitted today.

    Khichi further explained that his clients (convicts) serving in jail have not been identified in the video examination conducted by the authorities. He also contended that certain sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act applied to the accused were not truly applicable, and the medical reports did not substantiate the presented evidence.

    The present order by the court substantiates the narrative of the lawyer.

    The three men — Haseem Amir, Wasim Sindhi, and Aleem Asif — were handed punishments in one of the nine cases police had registered against them. ATC judge Chaudhry Muhammad Ilyas had also imposed a fine of Rs300,000 on each of the three convicts.

    Ganda Singhwala police had registered a first information report against the three convicts on charges of abducting and sexually assaulting children in Kasur.

    It was reported that the men had also been blackmailing the families of the boys since 2009 and even sold video clips of the assault. In 2018, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore sentenced the three men to life in prison after finding them guilty.

    Kasur is a district plagued by such incidents. According to a report by Pakistan Observer Kasur stood first in child sexual abuse and pornography with 298 cases out of 2275 across the country during the year 2021.

  • Lahore High Court orders Rs. 50,000 fine for late-night restaurants

    Lahore High Court orders Rs. 50,000 fine for late-night restaurants

    Justice Shahid Karim on Friday ordered local authorities to fine late-night restaurants a whopping 50,000 rupees. The Lahore High Court (LHC) has imposed a fine on restaurants and cafés violating the time bar imposed on eateries to curb smog. Last month the court ordered the government to close restaurants, particularly in the Johar Town area, by 10 pm as a measure to tackle smog, Arshad Ali reported on Samaa News.

    The court also directed the government to take immediate action against those running cafes without permission. In addition to that, the court sought a reply from the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) about the final date for the completion of city underpasses till the next hearing.

    “If the underpasses are allowed to be renovated even during the day, then how many days will it take to consult on this and give a date of completing the decoration of the underpasses,” the judge remarked.

    The court also sought a report on green projects from the Central Business District (CBD).

    “Has Central Business District (CBD) launched any green projects,” the court inquired. “They are erecting high-rise buildings, but who will start the green project,” the court further inquired. Judicial Water Commission said that CBD had said that they would start the green project. The court issued stay orders against the launch of the new CBD project on Walton Road. The court sought a report from the CBD on the next hearing on Monday.

  • SHOs to be taken to task if underage driver causes accident, says Lahore High Court

    SHOs to be taken to task if underage driver causes accident, says Lahore High Court

    “If an underage driver causes a road accident, the relevant SHO and sector in-charge will be taken to task,” Justice Ali Zia Bajwa remarked during the hearing of a petition of Afnan Shafqat, the prime suspect in the DHA car accident that resulted in deaths of six members of a family, reports Dawn.

    The underage suspect approached the court against alleged harassment by the police and for the protection of his right to fair trial.

    However, the court ordered traffic police to continue its crackdown on underage drivers and warned it against any harassment to law-abiding citizens.

    CTO Traffic police Mustansir Feroze told the court that a crackdown was underway against driving vehicles without licences and as many as 2,986 cases had been registered in three days.

    Talking to the media, the CTO said more than 4,000 cases had been registered during the crackdown against underage driving. He said hundreds of vehicles had been confiscated in police stations and over 16,000 learner permits had been issued in a single day.
    He said the city had 30 licencing offices, ten mobile vans, and three 24-hour open centres. He said three new licence centres were being established in the city.

    Consequently, Traffic Police in Attock arrested 26 underage drivers, 14 were arrested in Attock City, eight in Fatehjang and four in Jand.