LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday issued contempt notices to the secretaries of planning and development and communication and works and five other officials for misleading the court in a matter related to delay in construction of the Narowal Expressway.

Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan was hearing a petition filed by Shakargargh Bar Association. Minority MPA of PML-N Ramish Singh Aurora also became party to the case by filing a civil miscellaneous application.

Advocate Safdar Shaheen Pirzada, on behalf of the petitioners, argued before the court that the government had been deliberately delaying the construction of the expressway despite the fact that a revised PC-I had been approved in April 2018.

The officials, present in the court, said many surveys of the project, including soil testing were yet to be conducted.

The petitioner’s counsel rejected the version of the officials and stated that all the surveys had been completed. He also presented documents to substantiate his claim.

Chief Justice Khan, irked by the revelation, observed that the government officials had been playing hide and seek with the court for almost a year.

The chief justice further observed that the millions of Sikhs from across the world were scheduled to arrive for the birthday celebration of Baba Guru Nanak and the government showed no seriousness in the road project.

A provincial law officer stated that the development projects costing above Rs10 billion were approved by the federal government. He said the project in question had been forwarded to the federal government along with 25 other projects for approval.

The chief justice issued contempt notices to seven government officials, including the secretaries and directed the petitioner’s counsel to submit a draft of the charge on June 2 for the indictment of the officials.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2021