LAHORE, March 4: Chief Justice Iftikhar Husain Chaudhry of the Lahore High Court on Friday allowed a one-month grace period to motorcyclists to wear helmet.
Additional Advocate-General Chaudhry Muhammad Akbar Tarar, who appeared in court against the writ petition moved by Advocate M.D. Tahir challenging wearing of helmet, told Dawn that the court had directed the Punjab government not to coerce motorcyclists unnecessarily and exercise leniency on them even after the grace period.
The court also directed the government to inflict a minimum possible fine on offenders. The maximum fine for the offence under the Motor Vehicle Ordinance is Rs500 and the court asked the government that the fine should not exceed Rs100.
The court, according to Mr Tarar, also directed the government to take measures to ensure reduction in the helmet prices and suggested constitution of price-control committees.
It was also suggested by the court that offending motorcyclists should not be challaned if the pillion rider was a woman. In the process, the court dismissed the petition in liminie after it was taken up as an objection petition. The court overruled the office objection and invited the argument from the lawyer-petitioner on Thursday.
CHIEF JUSTICES: Chief Justice Iftikhar Husain Chaudhry said here on Friday that chief justices were not changed on the demand of bar office-holders whose resolutions did not have any impact on the working of the superior judiciary.
He was talking to reporters after administering oath of office to Justice Farrukh Latif as a permanent judge of the high court. He said elevations and transfers in superior courts were made by the government and not because a bar office-bearer wanted or the bar adopted a resolution.
Replying to a question, he said vacancies in the Lahore High Court would soon be filled. Lahore High Court Bar Association president Fakharun Nisa Khokhar had demanded the transfer of the chief justice at her first news conference three days after her election.
Earlier, the chief justice administered oath of the office to Justice Farrukh Bashir at a ceremony which was attended by judges and eminent lawyers including LHCBA vice-president Dr Akmal Saleemi and secretary Shehram Sarwar.
The high court administration had invited three of four LHCBA office-bearers and finance secretary Firdaus Imtiaz informed the administration about her non-availability due to personal engagements. President Fakharunnisa Khokhar was not invited.
Justice Farrukh Latif has been an additional judge since March 4, 2002. He is due to retire on June 9 on attaining the age of super annuation. Justice Rustam Ali Malik is another judge retiring on Sept 9 on attaining the age of super annuation. He was appointed on March 4, 2002. At present, there are nine vacant posts of judges in the high court.
SIX JUDGES: The chief justice has reportedly nominated six judicial officers and lawyers for their elevation to the high court. They include Advocate-General Aftab Iqbal, Additional Advocate-General Najeeb Faisal Chaudhry, Multan district and sessions judge Mohammad Azhar and lawyers Jahanzeb Bharwana and Khawaja Mohammad Haris.
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