The Lahore High Court (LHC) here on Friday allowed government to use Punjab University's playground "Baba ground" as parking lot for staff and visitors of civil secretariat and sessions court. The court had earlier granted a stay order in favour of the university, however, now on an application of Speaker Punjab Assembly vacated the stay.
The speaker took plea that the Baba ground belonged to provincial assembly and it had allowed government to use it as parking facility owing to terrorism threat to secretariat and sessions court. It was pleaded that since the LHC stopped parking of vehicles inside the ground people were using roads to park their vehicles, which cause security risk in the area. Traffic also remained choked due to motorbikes and cars parked on road.
An Additional Advocate General Chaudhry Zubair Khalid had already told the court that Baba Ground belonged to Punjab Assembly as it was allotted to the assembly in year 1986. The counsel of Punjab University, Shahzad Shaukat however, opposed this contention saying that in year 1986 the assembly had only taken possession of the ground while the ownership remained with the university in documents.
He said the ground originally allotted to Oriental Law College in 1920, which later became Punjab Law College under Punjab University. Shaukat pointed out that after getting stay order against parking of vehicles on July 15, last the university had held a cricket match of its students but government officials forced out them and did not allow the match. Government also took possession of the ground vigorously, counsel added.
The law officer however, rejected the argument and said that the possession of the ground was still with university. After hearing the arguments, LHC allowed use of Baba ground as parking lot and directed Punjab Assembly through its secretary to furnish documents relating to ownership of the ground till in first week of September.