LHC stays naming square after Bhagat Singh

[Salman]

LAHORE – The Lahore High Court on Friday barred city district government from notifying the renaming of Chaudhry Rehmat Ali Chowk as Bhagat Singh Chowk.

Justice Nasir Saeed Sheikh issued the interim order on a petition moved by Zahid Butt, President of Anjman-e-Tajraan, Shadman Market Lahore, on behalf of Tehrik Hurmat-e-Rasool.

The petitioner told the court that the city district government had referred the matter of renaming the Ch Rehmat Ali Chowk commonly known as Fawara Chowk to the Dilkash Lahore, a committee set up to revitalise and beautify provincial capital and to finalize new names for squares, roads and intersections after assessing their historical significant before the creation of country.

The committee, headed by former judge of Supreme Court Khalilur Rehman Ramday, asked authorities to notify Bhagat Singh Chowk as the new name of the roundabout without any further delay, the petitioner pointed out. The petitioner added that the name of the Chowk was unanimously decided as Ch Rehmat Ali Chowk who was not only the founder of the name of Pakistan but also was a founder activist of the Pakistan Movement.

“And, we have also came to know that there is a very strong lobby and Indian spy agency, Raw, behind so called Dilkash committee forcing him to change Islamic names of roundabouts, cities and other places, and it is first step of Bhagat Singh Foundation who is playing in hands of the Raw,” Zahid Butt alleged in his petition.

The petitioner requested the court to declare the decision of the committee unlawful and illegal and bar the city district government from notifying the name. The court recorded initial contentions and restrained the city district government from issuing a notification.

The court has also sought replies from the city district government and other respondents until November 29.

NOTICES SERVED: A two-member bench of the LHC on Friday issued notices to the chairman and the director general of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on a contempt petition moved by Zarai Taraqiati Bank Ltd (ZTBL).

The petitioner said the court had ordered NAB to handover the Rs7.8 million recovered from an accused involved in a fraud case. Under the NAB ordinance, the bureau was bound to deposit the amount in account of concerned government department after recovering from any accused. But, the bureau had not deposited the amount in the bank despite the laps of two years and order of the high court, the petitioner pointed out.

He requested the court to start contempt proceedings against chairman and DG of the NAB and also order them to handover the recovered amount to the bank. The bench sought replies from them within two weeks.