LAHORE: Justice Shahid Waheed of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday barred local authorities from taking any adverse action ride-sharing cab companies.
The court also sought replies from the Punjab Transport Authority (PTA) and the Lahore chief traffic officer (CTO) until February 20 on a petition filed by Muhammad Rafique Shehzad.
Counsel for petitioner Malik Saleem Iqbal Awan submitted that the petitioner was running a cab operating company to facilitate people. He said 800 people daily use ride-sharing services of cab firms for painless and luxury travelling on meagre charges.
He submitted that the petitioner’s cab service was regulated and licenced by the London mayor. He said that the petitioner had given an undertaking that he was ready to meet with all legal requirements for getting license to operate cab service in Lahore but the government had refused his offer, saying that there was no codified law to regulate the service.
He submitted that instead of taking legal action to regulate the service, the Punjab Transport Authority issued a letter on January 27, 2017 the petitioner’s cab service illegal.
He said that unlike, Careem and Uber, the petitioner was ready to regulate his services, therefore, he said, his service should not be treated on the same pedestal. He said the letter of transport authority declaring A-1 Cars is illegal, and unconstitutional.
The counsel submitted that keeping in view the public interest and welfare – consistent with provisions of Article 8 of the constitution – the petitioner should have been given a fair opportunity to conduct his business freely, with a provision of better facilities to the passengers in dignified manner through reliable service.
He requested the court to declare order of the Punjab Transport Authority against petitioner’s car service should be declared illegal. He also requested the court to direct the respondents to issue licence to A-1 cars for providing cab service.
He added that during pendency of the petition, the respondents should be directed not to take any adverse and illegal action against the cabs of the petitioner and he should be allowed to continue this business.
Separately, a habeas corpus petition has been filed in the LHC seeking “recovery of Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed from alleged detention of the Punjab government”.
Advocate Sarfraz Hussain Friday moved the petition, saying that Hafiz Saeed’s detention was illegal. He requested the court to issue directives for the JuD chief recovery from the alleged illegal and improper detention of the Punjab government and set him at liberty.
