LAHORE, July 12: Jamatud Daawa chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed has moved the Lahore High Court through a constitutional petition with a prayer to end VIP and VVIP culture in Pakistan.

The petition filed through A.K Dogar urges the court to issue a declaration that VIP and VVIP status is a legacy of colonial era and ultra vires of the constitutional provisions of “equality of status, social and economic justice, and principle of democracy as enunciated by Islam.” It says the closure of roads for VIPs is utter violation of fundamental rights of the citizens.

“Asking a citizen to step aside for passage of a cavalcade of a VIP is violation of his fundamental rights enshrined in Article 9 and is hit by Article 8(2) of the Constitution,” it adds.

Hafiz Saeed prays that the presidency, the prime minister’s house, governor and chief minister houses, ministerial enclaves and the places of all state functionaries should be declared in violation of principle of social and economic justice.

He furthers prays that all schools like Aitchison College must open their gates to children of the poor and the children of the rich and poor must sit in the same classrooms and study the same syllabi.

The petitioner states that no privilege of any kind including free electricity, gas, petrol and telephone should be provided to any person from public exchequer.

He prays that the government should be directed to follow the UK state functionaries who travel by buses and trains even though they are not Muslims.

LPG price: The Lahore High Court on Thursday sought replies from the federal government and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) on several petitions challenging reduction in prices of LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas).

Different LPG marketing companies in their petitions submitted Ogra did not consult the stakeholders (petitioners) before reducing the LPG prices.

They said under the law the respondent authority was bound to consult stakeholders before taking any decision about gas prices.

The petitioners said the impugned decision would hamper the LPG import which was necessary to meet the gas demand in the holy month of Ramazan.

They, therefore, prayed to the court to set aside the Ogra notification about LPG prices being illegal.

Justice Ijazul Ahsan directed the respondents to file their replies by next hearing on July 17.

FULL BENCH: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Thursday constituted a three-member full bench to hear a set of petitions against alleged illegal allotment of precious land belonging to the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB).

Headed by the chief justice, the full bench will comprise Justice Mohammad Khalid Mahmood Khan and Justice Ijazul Ahsan. It will start its proceedings on Friday (today).

The petitioners demanded cancellation of the allotment of the board land. They pleaded that the board was the sole owner of the land, however, its chairman Syed Asif Hashmi allotted the land to his blue-eyed persons in violation of rules and regulations.