LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday criticised the Punjab bureaucracy for inordinate delay in the construction of new jails in the province and hinted at summoning the chief minister in case of further impasse on the matter.

Justice Farrukh Irfan Khan was hearing a petition for improving conditions in jails, provision of proper space and cells according to humanitarian requirements and construction of new jails in the province.

In compliance with the court’s previous order, reports were submitted on behalf of the secretaries of finance, home, communication & works and planning departments.

The judge expressed serious dissatisfaction over the reports while observing that if project of Metro Bus Service could be completed within nine months, why not new jails could be constructed even in 10 years. Justice Khan constituted a committee comprising heads of the departments concerned and directed it to furnish its report by May 29 after holding inspection of proposed prisons.

Rida Qazi, the petitioner, had asked the court to issue directions for treatment of the prisoners according to the Pakistan Prisoners Code (Jail Manual) and shifting the inmates in the jails beyond their capacity. The petitioner had also sought removing of mental patients from the jails to the mental hospitals for their proper treatment and lodging the addict prisoners at the drug centres established in the private sector.

The petitioner further sought release of prisoners involved in bailable cases after meeting the legal formalities in order to lessen the burden on jails.

SEEKS REPLY: The Lahore High Court on Thursday sought a reply from the federal government on a petition challenging the Gas Theft Control and Recovery Ordinance 2014.

Advocate Sheraz Zaka Mir filed this petition and stated that powers of the courts had been delegated to gas companies under the impugned ordinance. He said the ordinance violated basic rights of the citizens protected in the Constitution.

He said under section 23 of the ordinance gas company had been empowered to raid any premises which was in sheer violation of fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution. Moreover, he said under section 29 an alleged defaulter was required to deposit whole disputed amount first before approaching courts.

He asked the court to declare impugned ordinance void being contrary to basic provisions of the Constitution. After hearing the petitioner’s contention the court issued notice to the government. The court will take up the petition along with several identical petitions already pending before it.