Daily Times

LAHORE: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) member Ilyas Khan on Saturday submitted a petition in the Lahore High Court seeking an open inquiry against functionaries involved in leaking information of an in-camera meeting of the National Security Committee.

Petitioner counsel Babar Awan contended that the in-camera proceedings of the committee were leaked with a conspiracy to scandalise the Pakistan army.

He said the federal government had ordered an inquiry into the matter but some federal ministers had been accused of playing an active role in the leak and publication of the information in an English newspaper.

He requested the court to order the interior minister to make public the outcome of the enquiry and put all involved in the national security breach on the Exit Control List (ECL).

He also requested the court to direct the National Assembly speaker to send a reference to the Election Commission of Pakistan for disqualification of parliamentarians involved in leaking the national security committee’s affairs.

Meanwhile, CNG stations owners have moved a petition before the Lahore High Court challenging recovery of gas infrastructure and development surcharge’s arrears.

Petitioners’ counsel stated that the federal government promulgated the Gas Infrastructure and Development Surcharge Ordinance in 2011 and the Supreme Court had already set aside the ordinance,

However, he said, the government introduced a new law in 2015 to levy the surcharge and started recovering arrears.

He said a Senate committee had also declared the recovery of the arrears illegal but arrears were being included in the monthly gas bills.

He requested the court to restrain the government from recovering arrears of the gas infrastructure and development surcharge.