LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan on Thursday warned a woman lawyer petitioner of heavy fine if she failed to prove that holding the Punjab Assembly’s session in a private hotel was illegal.

At the outset of the hearing, the chief justice asked Advocate Anjum Hameed, the petitioner in person, to cite the law that clearly restricted holding of the assembly session outside the Punjab Assembly premises. He also observed that petitions should not be filed only for media publicity.

The lawyer stated that though the rules of business did not specify any place for holding the assembly’s session, public money had been misused by holding the session in a private place apparently due to the coronavirus pandemic.

She said the impugned act amounted to disloyalty to the country.

Chief Justice Khan cautioned the petitioner-lawyer that she was trying to question the loyalty of all members of the assembly.

A law officer opposed the petition and argued that the Punjab governor had authorised the speaker of the assembly to hold the session at any appropriate place.

The CJ asked the government’s counsel whether the governor could delegate his power to the speaker.

“What if the speaker convenes the assembly’s session at his residence? Maybe some members do not like to attend the session at the speaker’s residence,” he further asked the law officer.

The CJ sought a detailed reply from the government by the next hearing and observed that the petition would be dismissed with a fine of Rs500,000 if the petitioner failed to establish her case.

The lawyer in her petition contended that holding the assembly’s session in a private hotel with taxpayers’ money was against the austerity policy announced by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

She asked the court to summon complete detail of the expenses incurred upon the sessions at a private place and order the authorities concerned to recover the amount and deposit it back to the national exchequer.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2020