The Lahore High Court (LHC) here on Tuesday issued notice to Punjab government in a petition challenging cancellation of a contract of collecting "tax on immovable property" awarded by district government to a contractor. The petitioner Abdul Qayum through his counsel Khawaja Saeed-uz-Zafar submitted that district government had awarded him the contract.
However, after abolishment of local bodies system in the Punjab the provincial government through a notification on June 30, 2010 cancelled all the contracts awarded by the district government. Counsel pleaded that the provincial government had no jurisdiction to interfere the affairs of district government as the latter enjoyed complete protection against external infringement. The court after hearing the petitioner counsel at length issued notice to Punjab government and directed a law officer to ensure submission of reply to the petition by July 16.