12 May 2004	Wednesday	21 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

KARACHI, May 11: The Sindh High Court suspended on Tuesday a city district government (CDGK) decision to ban bachat (fair price) bazaars routinely organized in various localities of the city.

Issuing notice to the CDGK and the advocate-general for May 24 in a suit moved by the Bachat Bazaars Association, Justice Mushir Alam, however, observed that the stay order would operate without prejudice to the duties and obligations of the defendants to regulate and control the prices and quality of goods on sale at the bazaars.

The judge overruled the office objection in respect of the valuation of the suit and granted the request of the plaintiff association's counsel, Khalid Jawed Khan, for urgent hearing.

He noted the plaintiff's submission that the bazaars were being held on the properties owned by various agencies, including the CDGK. The private and other owners had no objection and the CDGK recovered Rs298,000 from the organizers.

The bazaars, the plaintiff stated, were being regulated by the CDGK for the purpose of ensuring quality and price control. A no-objection certificate from the CDGK was not required as it was already recovering its dues from the bazaars. However, the bazaars were abruptly banned without notice in pursuance of a recommendation made by the CDGK's mushawaratior consultative committee. The committee said bachat bazaars should be allowed only on Sundays.

The plaintiff association claimed that there was no cogent reason for restricting the bazaars to Sundays. They were being organized once a week on different days in different neighbourhoods according to the convenience of consumers.

There was no provision in the Sindh Local Government Ordinance empowering the CDGK to or its consultative committee to ban or curb the holding of the bazaars, it maintained.

While imposing the ban, the CDGK had invoked Schedule-II of the SLGO which, it said, empowered it in this behalf. Issuing notices in the suit, the court restrained the CDGK till the next date, May 24.

ASIF ZARDARI: Justice Azizullah M. Memon of the Sindh High Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of a quashment application of Asif Ali Zardari, husband of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, in a tax-evasion case, adds PPI.

The court was informed that the federal attorney was engaged in cases before another bench of the SHC and requested for adjournment. Asif Zardari, a former managing director of the Pakistan International Airlines, Farooq Umer, and others are being prosecuted on a charge of evading custom duties and causing losses to the national exchequer.

It is alleged that the applicant by abusing his official position exported eight wooden containers to London in April 28, 1996 without paying customs duties and freight charges. Advocate Farooq H. Naik appeared on behalf of Asif Zardari.