Daily Times

Balochisan High Court on Wednesday reserved the verdict challenging the demolishing of historic Balochistan Assembly building.

Former President Supreme Court Bar Association Senator Amanullah Kanrani had filed a constitutional petition against the demolition of an old and historical building of Balochistan Assembly terming the government move tantamount to damaging the historical national heritage.

The division bench of the BHC comprising Justice Hashim Khan Kakar and Justice Mohammad Amir Nawaz Rana reserved the decision.

Senator Kanrani contended that the decision of demolishing the historical building of Balochistan Assembly is a sheer violation of article 28 of the constitution of Pakistan.

He said Article 28 of the constitution of Pakistan says, subject to article 251, any section of citizens having a distinct language, script or culture shall have the right to preserve and promote the same and subject to law, establish institutions for that purpose deploring that the incumbent government is going against the constitution.

He further contended that government has planned to demolish the assembly building and spend Rs 5 billion on the construction of historic building without taking the cabinet into confidence. The prejudice move would be a just a waste of public money, he lamented.

The senator referred lower house of United Kingdom as saying the building of UK lower house is being preserved given that it was century old building of the country. The building of Sindh Assembly is intact based on the same reason, he stressed.

Referring section 2 of the article 199 of the constitution, he said it is the responsibility of the court to protect the basic right of the citizen.

The division bench of the Balochisan High Court preserved the verdict saying the detailed judgment would be made in line with the ground realities and facts of the case.