LAHORE, Feb 29: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday issued a notice to Salman Shahbaz, son of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, on a petition moved by a consortium of different banks for the recovery of a loan worth Rs3 billion defaulted by Ittefaq Foundries.

United Bank, Zarai Taraqiati Bank, Muslim Commercial Bank, Picic Bank, Habib Bank Limited, National Bank of Pakistan and First Punjab Mudarba Bank filed the petition.

Counsel for banks stated that following an LHC order a committee was constituted to resolve the issue, but the members of the Sharif family especially Salman were not cooperating with it.

At this, the court issued a notice to Salman.

Previously the petitioner-banks were handed over three unites of Ittefaq Foundries to recover the loan, but the banks rejected it and demanded money in cash. Further hearing will be held on March 16.

PU VC CASE: The LHC issued a notice to the Punjab government on a writ petition challenging re-appointment of Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran as Punjab University vice chancellor.

Advocate Fayaz Ahmad Mehr filed the petition and submitted that respondent Mujahid Kamran was re-appointed as VC in January in clear violation of laws and rules. He alleged that Kamran did not enjoy good reputation as a number of corruption stories had been published in newspapers against him.

He said reappointment of Kamran was not only violation of the Punjab University Act but also violation of a Supreme Court judgment against reemployment of retired persons. He said the respondent had already completed his term as vice chancellor.

He prayed that reappointment of Mujahid Kamran be set aside being illegal.

Meanwhile, LHC Chief Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed sought replies from the federal government and the ministry of information and broadcasting on a writ petition filed against possible curbs on the media.

Advocate Ilamuddin Ghazi pleaded that the media was exposing corruption and illegal steps of the government, and now it had decided to tighten noose around it by introducing certain rules and regulations.

The CJ sought a reply from the government till March 20.