LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday dismissed petition of a man with Rs50,000 cost who disowned fatherhood of his daughter to challenge a lower court’s decision of giving maintenance allowance to the minor.

Khalid Javed of Nankana Sahib had filed the petition against the decision issued by a family court wherein he was ordered to pay Rs5,000 per month to his minor daughter living with his former wife.

The man had also denied the legitimacy of the child before the family court but his argument was rejected as a matter of jurisdiction. He took the same plea before the high court while challenging the family court’s order. The petitioner through counsel contended that since their marriage in 2006 his wife remained at her parents’ house and never lived with him. Later, the petitioner said, he disassociated himself from his wife due to her alleged immoral character.

The counsel argued that the minor was not the daughter of the petitioner and she was not entitled to maintenance allowance. He asked the court to set aside the decision of the family court for being illegal and without lawful jurisdiction.

Justice Shahid Jamil Khan took notice of the plea taken by the petitioner and dismissed his petition with cost/fine of Rs50,000.

ICA DISPOSED OF: The Lahore High Court on Monday disposed of an Intra Court Appeal (ICA) seeking registration of an FIR against retired Capt Muhammad Safdar, son-in-law of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, over his alleged statement against members of minorities in parliament.

A division bench headed by Justice Abdul Sami Khan observed that the appellant should approach the National Assembly speaker as the alleged speech was delivered by the respondent on the floor of the assembly. A citizen filed the appeal pleading that Safdar used derogatory language against a group of minorities during his speech in the parliament. He said the statement of the MNA hurt emotions of the minorities living in the country.

The appellant said police refused to lodge a case on his application against the MNA and sessions court and a single bench of the high court also dismissed his petitions. He urged the two-judge bench to set aside the earlier decisions by the courts and order the police to register a criminal case against Mr Safdar.

Opposing the appeal, a law officer argued that Safdar was a member of the parliament and the NA speaker had the powers to proceed against him. He further said the appellant also failed to tell complete facts of the case. The division bench disposed of the petition directing the appellant to approach the appropriate forum.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2017