LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday disposed of a petition of tandoor operators’ association and directed an appellate committee of the government to decide the matter of “roti” and “naan” prices after hearing the concerns of the petitioner.

The association through its representative Aftab Aslam Gill filed the petition challenging the government’s coercive actions against the tandoor operators.

Opposing the petition, a government’s law officer told the court that the petitioner directly invoked the writ jurisdiction of the high court and did not avail the first remedy available in the law.

He said the government constituted an appellate committee to address the grievances of the tandoor operators.

Court disposes of tandoor operators’ plea

Justice Shahid Karim observed that the court had entertained the petition after the petitioner’s counsel argued that there was no platform to agitate the price fixation order of the government.

The judge said since the government established an appellate committee to decide complaints on the matter, the petitioner should approach the same.

The judge referred the petition to the government’s committee with a direction to decide the matter after affording an ample opportunity of hearing to the petitioner/association.

The judge had already restrained the government from causing harassment to the tandoor operators.

The petitioner’s counsel had contended that the district government was not allowing the tandoor operators to increase the prices of “roti” and “naan” following the increased prices of flour and other raw materials.

He said the government started taking illegal actions against the tandoors and had been harassing them to observe the officially notified prices which were even below the cost.

He asked the court to restrain the government from taking actions and harassing the members of the association. He also asked the court to allow the tandoor operators to fix the prices as per the inflation.

MEERA CASE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday dismissed for non prosecution a petition of actress Meera challenging a decision of a sessions court dismissing her plea to declare a nikahnama (marriage document) of her marriage possessed by a businessman, Attiqur Rehman, a fabricated one.

Justice Anwaar Hussain took up the petition, however, neither the petitioner nor her counsel appeared before the court.

At this, the judge dismissed the petition for non prosecution.

The sessions court had dismissed an appeal of the actress upholding a decision of a family court that declared the nikahnama a valid document.

The actress claimed that Rehman prepared a fake nikahnama showing her as his wife only to grab her property. She denied having any relation with Rehman and accuses him of blackmailing her by claiming to be her husband.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2022