RECORDER REPROT

LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice on Tuesday stayed the auction of checkrooms (toshakhana) articles scheduled on November 25 and sought reply from the federal government.

Chief Justice Khan Muhammad Qasim Khan observed that prima facie the process of the auction was in violation of Article 25 of the Constitution and non-transparency was evident at the first step. The CJ further observed that the government’s decision of selling the toshakhana items to its officials was like a blind man distributing sweets but among his loved ones only.

Earlier the petitioner a citizen, Adnan Paracha, through his counsel argued that the government had decided to sell the articles of the toshakhana through auction to the officers of the federal government and armed forces only. He said the process for the auction was sheer discriminatory and unlawful.