LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday imposed a ban on felling of trees in the educational institutions and ordered the environment authorities to initiate cases under the anti-corruption law against the violators.

Justice Shahid Karim was hearing multiple petitions relating to smog and other environmental issues.

The judge observed that a prior permission should be required to be taken from the relevant authorities for cutting a tree in the government and private institutions.

A provincial law officer requested the court to allow the government to transfer some officials of the departments related to smog case including the head of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA).

Orders environment dept to initiate cases against violators

The judge asked the law officer as to why the government wanted to change the LDA DG.

“Tell the government not to interfere in judicial matters,” the judge instructed the lawyer.

Justice Karim noted that the government had already changed the chief traffic officer of Lahore and the court did not take any action on it.

The judge said he knew who had been pressuring the government to change the LDA DG.

The judge also directed the traffic police to display emergency helpline number boards for traffic. He observed that a system should be devised that the complaints of traffic congestion should be resolved by an immediate response.

Earlier, a water and environment commission submitted its report showing progress on the implementation of the court’s previous directions.

The judge would resume the hearing next week.

Gymkhana land: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday reserved its verdict on the maintainability of a petition challenging the leasing out of a valuable piece of land to Lahore Gymkhana Club at a throwaway price.

A citizen, Syed Usman, filed the petition saying he being a law-abiding citizen and a taxpayer of the country had a right to agitate the matter as it was related to wastage of the public exchequer.

At the outset of the hearing, Justice Shahid Karim asked the petitioner’s counsel to satisfy the court on the point of the locus standi (the right to bring a challenge to a court of law) of the petitioner to agitate the lease agreement of a single club.

The judge observed that the petitioner should have challenged the land lease agreements of other clubs as well including the golf courses.

Advocate Safdar Shaheen Pirzada, the petitioner’s counsel, stated that the petitioner was so far able to gather the documents regarding the lease agreement of the gymkhana club. He said the petitioner would also challenge the lease agreements of other entities after getting hold of the relevant documents.

The counsel also cited various judgments of the Supreme Court to establish the locus standi of the petitioner to agitate the matter of public importance.

After hearing the contention of the counsel, Justice Karim reserved his verdict on the maintainability of the petition.

The petitioner submitted that the gymkhana was allocated a state land measuring 1,133-kanal, one marla and 80 ft. in 1966. He said the land was one of the most costly and commercial from all aspects and its auction could generate revenue for the state in billions of rupees on a monthly basis.

He said the club entered into a lease agreement in 1996, and the land in question was leased out to it for a period of 50 years for Rs5,000 per annum.

The petitioner argued that the club had been causing monthly loss to the public exchequer to the tune of billions of rupees, which is neither acceptable nor allowed in the eyes of law.

He asked the court to set aside the impugned lease agreement for being illegal, unlawful, and against the facts and the interest of the public at large.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2023