LAHORE, Dec 19: The Lahore High Court on Monday sought replies from the federal government and the ministry of interior on a writ petition seeking constitution of a judicial commission to probe into former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s assassination.

The petitioner pleaded that Ms Bhutto’s murder caused an irreparable loss to Pakistan as well as her party. He said an attempt on Ms Bhutto’s life was made on her arrival in the country on Oct 18, 2007, and dozens of citizens were killed in a bomb explosion in the Karsaz area of Karachi, but law-enforcement agencies neither made any progress in investigation nor made it public.

Later, Ms Bhutto was assassinated at Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi on Dec 27, 2007, along with many party workers, but again no probe was conducted.

The petitioner pointed out that under article 19-A of the Constitution every citizen had the right to have access to information, therefore, a judicial commission might be constituted to trace Ms Bhutto’s murderers and make public the inquiry into the Karsaz incident.

The court issued notices to respondents and adjourned the hearing till Jan 12.

The Benazir Lovers Council has filed the petition.

college building: The LHC on Monday restrained the Punjab government from building postgraduate block of the Government Muslim Degree College for Women, Narowal, on a private land.

Mehboob Ali and eight others filed a petition against the alleged illegal construction on a land measuring 76 kanal and 19 marla. They said revenue and education departments acquired their precious land through a secret notification.

They alleged a PML-N MNA was protecting the provincial and district authorities, who wanted to acquire their land illegally despite the fact that vacant state land was available in the area.

The petitioners prayed to the court to declare the notification for acquisition of their land illegal and restrain the authorities from disturbing their lawful ownership and possession.