Hearing against Aashiyana Housing Scheme put off

LAHORE – The Lahore High Court on Friday adjourned to July 13 further hearing of a constitutional petition filed against the Aashiyana Housing Scheme which the present government in Punjab has launched to cater to the residential needs of the group of low income people.

A local advocate Barrister Javed Iqbal Jafree through the instant writ petition has questioned the fairness and transparency of the scheme contending that the favourites and people of liking have been benefited through this scheme. Arguing the matter last day, the petitioner contended that although the method of computerized balloting has been adopted to select the deserving people yet results of the balloting have not been made public which casts doubts on the fairness, clarity and transparency of the award.

The law officer of the Punjab informed the court through a written statement that a transparent and lucid procedure has been adopted to pick up the deserving people and that after the computerized balloting was held, all lucky applicants were informed and none had objected to process.

The counsel in reply said that the applicants, as a matter of principle, should have been informed and invited before the balloting so that they could themselves see how much the process is transparent and up to the mark.

The Bench of Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry directed the law officer to hand over record of the balloting to the petitioner for his perusal and put off hearing of the matter till July 13 when the case will be further argued.