LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday issued notices to the federal government, Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) and other respondents on a petition challenging the recent increase in the prices of petroleum products.

Judicial Activism Panel chairman Advocate Azhar Siddique filed the petition, pleading that the government’s decision to increase the prices of petrol and other products was unjustified and against the law.

The lawyer argued that the prices of the petroleum products were already high and the recent increase by the government had not been made in synchronisation with the prices in the international market. He pointed out that the government had been recovering the petroleum levy more than 10pc on the products, which it could not do under the law. He argued the government had now started price evaluation twice a month and increased the prices of the petroleum products during the last many months.

Mr Siddique said the growing inflation had already made the lives of the people miserable as they lost their buying power to have essential items and food products. He prayed to the court to set aside the impugned notification of the recent increase in the petroleum process and imposition of levy more than 10pc for being illegal.

Justice Shahid Waheed heard the arguments of the counsel and sought replies from the respondents within a week.

Verdict reserved: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday reserved its verdict on a petition of PML-N MPA Sohail Shaukat Butt against the alleged harassment and raids conducted by police at his residence.

Representing the opposition leader, lawyer Khalid Ranjha told the court that police had been causing undue harassment to the petitioner purely on political grounds. He said police had violated the ‘sanctity of the four walls’ by conducting raids at the residence and outhouse of the petitioner.

Opposing the petition, a provincial law officer said police had raided the property of the petitioner to arrest proclaimed offenders. He pointed out that several cases had also been registered against the petitioner.

Advocate Ranjha said the petitioner was either acquitted or granted bail in the cases referred to by the government. He said the petitioner had been regularly appearing in the trial proceedings.

The counsel said the newly appointed capital city police officer of Lahore had ordered action against the petitioner only to please the government. He asked the court to restrain police from causing harassment to the petitioner and taking any illegal action against him. He also sought criminal proceedings against the police officials involved in the illegal raids.

After hearing the arguments, Justice Chaudhry Mushtaq Ahmad reserved verdict on the petition.

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2021