LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday summoned trade union leaders of Hall Road and Panorama Shopping Centre for Tuesday (today) in a case regarding illegal parking lots on The Mall.

During the hearing of a petition against illegal parking lots, Justice Ali Akbar Qureshi observed that no one would be allowed to encroach upon the state land.

Earlier, officials of the Lahore Parking Company told the court that the traders’ union of Hall Road and Panorama Centre had illegally occupied government land and established their own parking lots.

The petitioner’s counsel pointed out that the private parking lots had been exploiting citizens and printed a disclaimer on their parking tokens that they would not be responsible for any loss or theft.

Meanwhile, the judge also directed Lahore Mayor Mubashar Javed to submit a compliance report of operation against the encroachments, oversized hoardings and cleanliness of the Mall Road.

The judge directed the authorities to clean the Mall Road three times a day and also asked the traders to display boards for the motivation of cleanliness among people.

Hearing another matter about security affairs of Data Darbar shrine and encroachment around it, Justice Qureshi summoned the Lahore CCPO on Tuesday (today).

Assistant Commissioner Safdar Virk told the court that all encroachments around the shrine had been removed and cleanliness was also being strictly observed in and outside the shrine.

A report filed on behalf of the Auqaf department secretary stated that 12 out of 16 entrances of the shrine had been closed after a suicide attack in 2010 owing to security reasons. It said that three entrance gates were used for men and one for women visitors at the shrine. As many as 103 CCTV cameras were installed on the shrine’s premises, the report added.

The judge directed the CCPO to appear in person along with a security plan for the shrine and also ordered the city government to impose a fine of Rs1000 on those who littered around the shrine.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2018