LAHORE, Feb 12: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday sought a reply from the Punjab government on a petition challenging the ban imposed on plying public transport on Metro Bus Service (MBS) route.

A transporter, Mushtaq Ahmed, filed the petition and submitted the ban imposed by the government was unjustified.

He said the ban would increase the miseries of the people and also cause unemployment.

He said the ban was imposed only to promote MBS which showed mala fide on government’s part.

The petitioner prayed to the court to set aside the ban being illegal.

The court adjourned hearing till Wednesday (today) and asked the government to explain under which law it imposed the impugned ban.

NOTICE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Tuesday took notice of two crime incidents reported in newspapers including rape and murder of seven-year-old daughter of a labourer in Sialkot and gang-rape of a woman in Sheikhupura.

The chief justice directed the district and sessions judges of Sialkot and Sheikhupura to look into the matters and submit detailed reports about police investigation within a week.