LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has ordered the closure of all commercial activities in the provincial metropolis by 10pm during the whole week as a measure to control smog.

“This is the direction which is required to be implemented by the administration of Lahore and the provincial government,” Justice Shahid Karim said in a written order issued on Tuesday about the previous hearing of the smog case.

The judge expressed his dissatisfaction over a notification passed by the Punjab relief commissioner regarding the closure of public and private schools on Fridays and Saturdays besides timings of markets and restaurants, which have been directed to open after 3pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

The order also envisaged that all offices shall open after 3pm on Saturdays.

The judge observed that the notification was irrational to say the least and clearly had not been issued after consultation with the advocate general office as also with the members of the judicial commission.

“It is directed that the notification should include directions issued by this court regarding closure of all commercial activities after 10pm every day of the week,” the judge said in the order.

Justice Karim also directed the government that the notification should make a provision of work from home for all private offices and banks operating in the jurisdiction of Lahore division.

He directed the CCPO to implement the court order regarding closure of markets and hotels at the settled time.

The judge observed that the order shall also be conveyed to the secretary to the caretaker chief minister for passing on necessary instructions to the CCPO in this regard which will go a long way in the control of smog as restrictions should not be confined to Fridays and Saturdays of the week but must be observed across the board on all days of the week.

Justice Karim directed the provincial law officer to take up the matter regarding parking at the greenbelts with the police officer concerned who shall ensure that the greenbelts of the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) were not misused.

The PHA had told the court a number of areas had been reserved for Miyawaki/urban forests in the city.

The judge will resume the hearing on Dec 4.

Lawyer’s plea: The Lahore High Court registrar office on Tuesday returned a petition by a lawyer seeking record of the divorce between Bushra Bibi, the wife of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, and her former husband, Khawar Farid Maneka.

Petitioner Advocate Muhammad Afaq took a stance that, according to the law, divorce becomes effective after being registered in the union council concerned. He said the period of Iddat (the intervening period before the next marriage) starts after the documentation of divorce is submitted in the office of the relevant union council.

He alleged that the legal requirements in the divorce of Maneka and Bushra Bibi were not fulfilled as admitted by Maneka on a TV programme that the Iddat was not completed. He asked the court to seek a clarification from Maneka and to summon the record of the union council for further verification of the divorce.

However, the registrar office returned the petition being not maintainable.

The office said the petitioner was not an aggrieved party in the matter.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2023