LAHORE: A full bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) will take up from next week a petition challenging the placement of barriers on thoroughfares and roads in front of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s Jati Umra residence, his family home in Model Town, and the office of the inspector general of police.

Justice Shahid Karim had initially taken up the petition filed by Abdullah Malik, who heads a civil society organisation, but then he referred the matter to the full bench that has been hearing pleas against the recent protests on Mall Road.

Justice Aminuddin Khan heads the full bench that also comprises Justice Shahid Jamil Khan and Justice Shahid Karim. They will resume hearing of the cases on Jan 31.

The petition, filed through Advocate Azhar Siddique, states that public money is being misused on providing security at Jati Umra and to the Sharif family.

It alleges that a security wall was built around the sprawling Jati Umra estate at an initial cost of around Rs250 million. It adds that over Rs75m had been lavished on providing security to Mr Sharif’s family members over the past few years.

According to the petition, the security equipment installed at the Jati Umra residence had cost around Rs806m, while around Rs12.5m had been spent on purchasing mobile jammers. It states that 2,750 personnel were deployed to provide security there and Rs40m had been invested on security arrangements.

The petitioner contends that road blocks placed in front of Jati Umra and Model Town residences of the Sharif family cause problems for commuters. The hindrance to citizens’ movement violates their fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution, says the petition, adding that any executive order passed by the prime minister, chief minister, chief secretary or any other minister was illegal unless it was passed by the cabinet.

The petition argues that the exercise of power for the purpose of blocking roads in front of the Jati Umra and Model Town residences and camp offices of the chief minister violated Section 24-A of the General Clauses Act and judgements passed by the superior courts.

The petitioner asks the court to order the chief secretary to get the barriers removed from around the residences of the Sharif family and the office of the IGP and traffic resumed on all blocked roads and thoroughfares in the city.

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2018