LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday sought personal appearance of a responsible officer at Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) along with the record of outsourcing management control of country’s three major airports.

Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah was hearing a petition filed by Muhammad Ayaz and other employees of the authority challenging outsourcing of Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore airports.

Advocate Amir Saeed Rawn argued on behalf of the petitioners that the Civil Aviation Act did not allow outsourcing or privatisation of the airports for being sensitive premises.

The lawyer said the airports were used for emergency landing of passenger and air force planes during the war situation. He said outsourcing the airports would amount to risk national security. He asked the court to restrain the government from outsourcing of the airports.

The chief justice observed that the court had the jurisdiction to hear the matter to the extent of Lahore airport. He directed a federal law officer to ensure appearance of a responsible officer from the CAA on May 24.

HUNTING PERMITS: The Lahore High Court chief justice directed the federal and provincial governments to submit parawise comments on petitions challenging issuance of permits to foreign dignitaries for hunting internationally protected bird -- houbara bustard.

Petitioners Kaleem Ilyas and Advocate Sheraz Zaka contended that the authorities had been issuing hunting permits to foreign dignitaries misinterpreting a judgment of the Supreme Court.

They said the apex court in its judgment had observed that the government giving permits in a particular area must take into consideration as to what steps had been taken by the licensee(s) to economically develop the hunting areas.

An assistant advocate general argued that hunting of houbara bustard would not have any adverse effect on the conservation of the bird.

The chief justice observed there were contradictions in reports of the provincial government and international organisations. He said the court would carefully examine whether the bird was in danger. The chief justice adjourned hearing till June 1 and sought parawise comments from the governments on the petitions.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2017