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LAHORE, Aug 10: A division bench of the Lahore High Court on Friday asked the Punjab Law Ministry to explain whether the governor could issue an ordinance when the assembly was in session.
Justice Nasim Sikandar and Justice Syed Asghar Haider sought the explanation on an appeal filed by the Motorvehicle Owners Association, Nankana Sahib.
The association has challenged a ‘massive’ increase in the rate of traffic fines by the government through the Motorvehicle Ordinance (amended) 2007. The bench also issued a notice to the Punjab traffic police chief.
The petitioner had filed an intra-court appeal after a single bench of the high court dismissed the petition.
The petitioner said the governor, through a notification on June 8, 2007, issued the ordinance when the Punjab Assembly was in session.
Petitioner’s counsel Shahbaz Gulzar said the governor, after the commencement of assembly session, could not issue any ordinance. He prayed the court to revoke the ordinance.
ILLEGAL CONFINEMENT: Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rahman of the Lahore High Court on Friday ordered the Qila Gujar Singh SHO to probe charges against a man whose wife accused him of keeping her confined illegally.
“Take action strictly in accordance with the law if any cognizable offence is made out,” the judge directed the SHO after the woman, present before the court, endorsed her mother’s claim.
Naseem Firdous had filed a habeas corpus petition in the high court for the recovery of her daughter Shabnum, alleging her son-in-law had kidnapped her.
On Thursday, the judge had ordered the SHO to recover the woman from the custody of her husband and present her before court on Friday.
Appearing before the court, Shabnum said her husband, Raja Amjad Khan, had kept her at his sister’s house against her will.
She, however, said she was released on Thursday night and was dropped at an area in Garhi Shahu from where she rang to her mother.
Amjad’s counsel informed the court that his client had never kidnapped his wife. “They are making up stories because they want a divorce for which they have filed a suit for the dissolution of marriage,” he added.
“If this is what they want, my client is willing to grant her divorce,” the lawyer said.
After hearing both the parties, the judge disposed of the petition with a direction to the SHO for a probe.
