LAHORE, April 5: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday was moved to seek a court order restraining the archaeology and museumology department from shifting personal belongings of Allama Iqbal from the Javed Manzil, Allama Iqbal Road, Lahore, to the National Museum in Islamabad.

Lawyer-petitioner M.D Tahir opposed the shifting of the relics of the poet-philosopher, now on display at the Javed Manzil which was built in 1935, and turned as a museum in 1977 for the display of household and other articles which had been under the exclusive use of Allama Iqbal, on the plea that the relics should be kept in Lahore where the poet had spent most part of his life.

He also submitted there was no cogent reason to shift the artifacts. The LHC registrar office had returned the writ petition to Mr M.D Tahir raising the objection that it was not maintainable.

The lawyer refiled it with the plea that it was only the court to decide if the petition was maintainable. The office had no powers to take judicial decisions. He also wrote to the office that the LHC had heard and decided several of his petitions on identical subjects. —Correspondent