Federal Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Monday informed the apex court that the rates of identity cards for overseas Pakistanis would be reduced after cabinet meeting. A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar heard suo motu case regarding extra fee being charged by the government from the Pakistanis living abroad for the issuance of National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP).
He informed that the summary regarding giving relief to the overseas Pakistanis in issuance of NICOP has been sent to the Prime Minister and the decision in that regard would be taken in the next cabinet hearing. During the hearing, interesting dialogue took place between Ahsan Iqbal and the Chief Justice as the bench earlier heard another suo motu case regarding passing of funeral procession through sewage water in Hujra Shah Muqeem, Okara.
The Chief Justice inquired from the interior minister if he is angry for being summoned. Iqbal replied: "Where shall we go after getting annoyed with the court, as we respect the courts?" The Chief Justice said, "You are an important person to provide leadership to the country. Have you heard what the councillor Hujra Shah Muqeem told the bench?"
"You think the courts are your enemies but we are friends of the government and people," the Chief Justice said. In reply, Iqbal said he also brought an important issue before the apex court. He said the Lahore High Court has given stay orders against construction of a college in Narowal for last seven years.
The Chief Justice asked him to tell the case number so that they could summon it. Iqbal said this is public interest case. He said that seven years ago land was allotted for the construction of boys and girls colleges; however, the building of a boys' college was completed, while no construction work could be started for girls' college because of the stay orders.
Earlier in the suo motu case on passing of funeral procession through sewage water, Councillor of Hujra Shah Muqeem, Nayyab Kashif informed the court about the problems being faced by the people in his union council. He said that the leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are involved in encroachment in the area.
The Chief Justice asked the councillor that the local governments are meant to resolve public problems, adding due to sewerage water, people's clothes become filthy. The councillor told the court that he also attended the same funeral.
He said that land mafia encroached upon 'Janaza Gah' (land allocated for offering funeral prayers) and the graveyard. Hujra Shah Muqeem's Park is divided into plots and they are being sold. He said that Chairman Municipal Committee Hujra Shah Muqeem has also encroached upon Janaza Gah.
The Chief Justice inquired who the MNA and MPA of Hujra Shah Muqeem are. The councillor replied that Rao Ajmal is MNA while Raza Gilani is MPA of Okara. The Chief Justice then questioned which the party they belong to. The councillor told that the both are PML-N leaders.
The Chief Justice said the municipal committee is responsible for redressing issues of the locals. The councillor informed that the chairman of the Municipal Committee is close relative of the MPA. On the court's query, he told that total population of the area is 76,000. He informed every month the provincial government provides Rs 1.5 million to the municipal committee.
The court summoned MNA Rao Ajmal and MPA Raza Ali Gilani and the Chairman Municipal Committee Zulfiqar Shah on the next hearing, while directed the union councillor to file a written statement within one week.
Earlier, Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Tuesday last took suo motu notice of a picture circulating on social media that showed a funeral procession passing through sewage water. During the hearing of a case, the CJP had directed the attention of the attorney general and advocate general towards the photo.
"People are walking to offer funeral prayers and they have been left impure [due to walking through the unsanitary water]," the Chief Justice had observed.
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