The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday dismissed petitions filed by 50 police constables seeking age relaxation to appear in test and interview being conducted by Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) for the posts of assistant sub-inspector (ASI).
Judge Umar Ata Bandial passed the order on 30 identical petitions filed by Farrukh Riaz, Saqib Mehmood and others against Punjab Home Department, Punjab inspector general of police and Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC).
The petitioners submitted that the PPSC advertised posts of ASIs in police department wherein they applied and qualified written test. However, the PPSC through a letter dated September 5, 2011 informed them that their applications for age relaxation had been rejected, the petitioner said. The petitioners pointed out that they approached the LHC earlier on apprehensions that their applications would not be entertained on the ground of upper age limit as prescribed in the advertisement. However, the court directed them to apply for upper age limit relaxation observing that such applications be entertained and determined in accordance with law and after consultation with the department concerned.
The petitioners contended that as per Punjab Civil Servants Recruitment Rules 1976, they qualified for upper age limit relaxation, therefore, the order passed by PPSC be set aside and petitioners be allowed for interviews starting September 22, 2011 along with others. However, the respondents counsel told the court that the petitioners did not fall under definition of civil servants as they belonged to the police force. He told the court that police rules would be applicable on the petitioners and no age limit relaxation could be allowed as per police rules. He pleaded the court to dismiss the petitions as these were not maintainable.
PETITION DISMISSED: Lahore High Court Justice Ijazul Ahsan on Wednesday dismissed an election petition earlier filed for non-prosecution against the PML-N MNA Malik Muhammad Pervez to question his victory in the by-elections in NA-123 Lahore. The petition was filed by Rana Nek Muhammad to seek disqualification of Malik Pervez as member of the National Assembly on the grounds that he had rigged the elections with the help of the official machinery. The petitioner invoked the jurisdiction of Article 63 of the constitution against the respondent praying the court for a direction to the election commission to declare the respondent disqualified to the hold the membership in the parliament. Last day, no one appeared to plead for the petition despite calls. Upon it, the court dismissed the petition for non-prosecution.
Ban vehicles not complying with vehicular laws: lawyer: An application was filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) seeking a ban on all vehicles not fulfilling the 1965 Punjab Motor Vehicle Ordinance and 1969 Motor Vehicle Rules criteria. The petition was filed by Azhar Siddique submitting that the criteria laid down in the 1965 Punjab Motor Vehicle Ordinance and the 1969 Motor Vehicle Rules were not being fulfilled by transporters and the provincial transport department, causing tragic accidents like the recent one in Kallar Kahar, and the loss of precious lives. He said the laws about regulating public transport and other vehicles had become redundant, since laws’ provisions were either not applied at all, or applied half heartedly; to the extent of paper-work. There was no check on defective buses plying without fitness certificates or property maintenance work before coming on the roads, he said. The petitioner demanded criminal cases be registered against those responsible for the fatal accident at Kallar Kahar, which resulted in the loss of more than 37 innocent lives, so that in the future transporters would be wary of operating transport vehicles before fulfilling the prescribed criteria.
He said the school bus that overturned in Kallar Kahar had been defected and under the law, it could not be permitted to ply on the Motorway, because of which violation the accident took place. The petitioner said in 2005 when a passenger bus caught fire in the Lahore Shumali Chaoni Police Station, an FIR under section 302/324/427/286PPC and section three, four of the Explosive Act had been registered, suggesting that a similar FIR should be registered against those responsible for this mishap, including the transporter and concerned government officials. The petitioner demanded that a judicial commission or high-powered government committee be set up for enquiring into such accidents, and that necessary amendments be made to the transport vehicles statutory laws. He demanded directions be issued to the government for executing a computerised MIS system to control, monitor and regulate public transport, including registration of vehicles’ fitness, drivers’ licenses and entry and exit documentation of vehicles from the city.
