LHC orders opening of sealed mosques

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday ordered the Punjab government to open mosques reportedly being run under the control of Tehreek Labaik Pakistan and allow people to offer their prayers there.

As the hearing commenced, the petitioners’ counsel Latif Sarra pleaded that thousands of TLP workers had been detained illegally while mosques had been sealed. He pointed out that mosque is the Home of Allah and it should not be attributed to any particular religious group or party. He said the Punjab government launched a crackdown against party leadership and workers and detained them.

He argued that required legal documents had also not been provided to families of detained workers. To it, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi directed the Punjab home secretary to provide copies of detention orders to the detained persons and sought reply from home department on a petition challenging their detention by December 10.

Notices: The Lahore High Court on Friday issued notices to deputy commissioner, assistant commissioner city and Miani Sahib Graveyard Committee officials on identical petitions seeking contempt proceedings against them for disconnecting supply of utility services to houses in Bagh Gull Begum despite a stay order issued by the Supreme Court.

The petitioners’ counsel Advocate Safdar Shaheen Pirzada told the court that the apex court had barred the district government and Miani Sahib Graveyard Committee from demolishing petitioners’ houses and taking any adverse action against them until further orders. However, he said the district government violated the stay order and cut off connections of water and electricity installed at the residences of the petitioners. He said the unlawful act of the government paralysed the life of the residents in the Bagh Gull Begum area.

The counsel argued that the act of the district government was vindictive and mala fide, targeting the lawful owners of the houses. He asked the court to order the respondents to immediately restore utility connections of the petitioners and initiate contempt proceedings against them for violating order of the Supreme Court.

Justice Ali Akbar Qureshi heard the arguments and issued notices to Deputy Commissioner of Lahore Saleha Saeed, Assistant Commissioner (City) Ahmad Raza Butt, Additional District Collector Awais Malik and others for December 3.