Shoe-keeping, toilets, parking: LHC stops charging money at shrines

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday stopped the authorities from charging money for using facilities of shoe-keeping, toilets and parking at shrines managed by the Auqaf and Religious Affairs Department Punjab.

LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan passed the orders while hearing a petition filed by a citizen, Haq Nawaz, against the lack of facilities at mosques and shrines. At the start of proceedings, the chief justice questioned whether the report about donations of shrines has been submitted. He questioned a provincial law officer whether the amount is charged for shoe-keeping and using toilets from persons who come to offer prayers.

He asked under what law the amount is being charged. The chief justice remarked that charging for shoe-keeping is equal to stopping the persons from entering the shrines. The Golra Sharif shrine administration does not charge any money for shoe-keeping, he added. To which, the provincial secretary Auqaf submitted that details of income have already been submitted to the court whereas the services are outsourced to improve the standard.

The chief justice observed that he went to Iran and witnessed that no amount was being charged for shoe and luggage keeping at shrines. Subsequently, he stopped the authorities from charging money for using the facilities of shoe-keeping, toilets and parking at shrines managed by the Auqaf Department. The court sought an implementation report within 15 days while giving strict warning.