ACROSS THE BORDER : Lahore High Court gives final warning to rename Shadman Chowk after Bhagat Singh

ACROSS THE BORDER : Lahore High Court gives final warning to rename Shadman Chowk after Bhagat Singh

Lahore, September 13, 2024: Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza of the Lahore High Court has given the respondent – Zahid Akhtar Zaman Chief Secretary,  a final opportunity to comply with a contempt petition regarding the renaming of Shadman Chowk in Lahore after the Indian freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. The next hearing on the matter has been scheduled for November 8, 2024.

The petition was filed by Imtiaz Rasheed Qureshi, Chairman of the Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation Pakistan, through his counsel, Advocate Khalid Zaman Khan Kakar. The petition names Zaman, Chief Secretary of Punjab, as a party to the case.

The petition states that on September 5, 2018, Justice Shahid Jameel Khan of the Lahore High Court had directed the relevant authorities to take steps to rename Shadman Chowk in honor of Bhagat Singh. However, these court orders have not been implemented to date.

During the hearing, petitioner Imtiaz Rasheed Qureshi informed the court that he has visited the offices of the concerned authorities multiple times in an effort to ensure the implementation of the court’s orders. He expressed frustration over the lack of progress, stating that he has worn out his shoes from the frequent visits, yet no action has been taken. He urged the Supreme Court to take notice of the situation and enforce the court’s directive.

The Lahore High Court has made it clear that this is the final chance for the respondent to act on the court’s orders before the next hearing.