The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday restrained the authorities from demolishing shops in Sheikh Hindi Market, Bhati Gate, and issued notices to the Punjab government and the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA), seeking their responses.
Justice Khalid Ishaq passed the order while hearing petitions filed by Mian Waqar Saeed and other shopkeepers. Advocate Mian Irfan Akram represented the petitioners.
The petitioners’ counsel contended that the Para Force and the assistant commissioner had directed shopkeepers to vacate their premises for the demolition of shops in Sheikh Hindi Market. However, he argued that no written notice had been served, and the administration had merely issued verbal directions to vacate the shops.
He further stated that the shops are built on privately owned land and that the petitioners have been conducting business there for more than three decades. He maintained that the properties belong to the shopkeepers and are not government-owned.
He requested the court to restrain the authorities from demolishing or sealing the shops. After hearing the arguments, the court ordered an immediate halt to the demolition and issued notices to the respondents, directing them to submit their replies.
LHC suspends FIA Faisalabad SHO
Separately, the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday suspended the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Faisalabad until further orders for failing to comply with the court’s directions and not producing the required WhatsApp chat record.
Justice Muhammad Amjad Rafiq issued the order in a written decision after hearing the post-arrest bail petition of accused Shahid Hameed.
According to the written order, during the previous hearing, the SHO had informed the court that the petitioner’s WhatsApp chat was available on record and reflected his alleged role in the case. The court had subsequently directed the officer to produce the transcript of the relevant WhatsApp conversation.
However, at the subsequent hearing, the SHO failed to submit the required record. Instead of producing the petitioner’s WhatsApp chat, he placed before the court the transcript of a conversation between co-accused Ahmed Shahid and the complainant, Umar Inayat, which the court held did not amount to compliance with its earlier order. Expressing strong displeasure over the FIA’s failure to comply with the court’s directions, the court ordered the suspension of FIA Faisalabad SHO Ajmal until further orders.
The court also directed the Director General of the FIA to nominate a senior officer to assist the court in the matter and ensure that the relevant record is produced at the next hearing.
The hearing was adjourned until July 22.