LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday allowed an opportunity to the federal government`s lawyer to submit replies to a petition of former minister Moonis Elahi`s wife against the inclusion of her name in the Exit Control List (ECL).

As Justice Sajid Mahmood Sethi took up the petition, a law officer sought time to file replies on behalf of the interior secretary and immigration director general.

The judge allowed the request and adjourned the hearing till Aug 8.

The petitioner, Tehreem Elahi contended through a counsel that she had dual nationality of Pakistan and Britain and her children lived in the United Kingdom (UK).

She said her name had been placed on the ECL as her husband was a political figure and the present government turned hostile against him.

The petitioner pleaded that she wanted to visit her children in the UK, but was unable to travel abroad due to the ECL bar.

She stated that she had nothing to do with the political activities of her husband and that baseless cases are being constituted against him.

She asks the court to order the authorities concerned to remove her name from the ECL and allow her to travel abroad to see her children.

Moonis Elahi, who left the coun-try last year, faces multiple cases of corruption and money laundering registered against him by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Anti Corruption Establishment (ACE).

FRESH NOTICES: A Lahore High Court division bench on Wednesday issued fresh notices to the Punjab government and the inspector general of prisons on a petition seeking better class for PTI Senator Ijaz Chaudhry in jail.

The bench headed by Justice Sajid Mahmood Sethi directed a provincial law officer to seek instructions from the respondents by Aug 7.

Salma Ijaz, the wife of the senator, filed the petition saying her husband was an elderly person with medical history. She said the PTI leader was on judicial remand in cases related to the May 9 events.

She pleaded that the home department had dismissed an application for the provision of better class to her husband without any valid reason.

She said the senator was eligible to be granted better class in the jail.

She asked the court to order the jail officials to provide the PTI leader all facilities he was entitled to under the law.

NEW VEHICLES: The Lahore High Court heard another petition on Wednesday regarding the provision of new vehicles to officers of departments by the caretaker Punjab government.

Justice Raheel Kamran Sheikhheard the petition and referred it to the chief justice, requesting consolidation with similar petitions that are already under consideration by the bench.

This new petition was filed by the Judicial Activism Panel.

Previously, Justice RasaalHassan Syed, while hearing similar petitions, directed the caretaker government to submit details of the vehicles officially provided to officers in all departments.

Advocate Farhat Mansoor Chandio and another filed the petitions, contending that the federal government had obtained a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with strict conditions.

They pointed out that the government had imposed new taxes and removed subsidies on essential items to comply with the conditions of the IMF program.

This financial burden has led to a rise in suicides among the poor due to their financial difficulties.

Despite this, the caretaker government of Punjab approved a fund of Rs2 billion to purchase new vehicles for bureaucrats, which they argue is a violation of its mandate.

The petitioners argued that the caretaker government does not have the authority to make any policy decision of a permanent nature.

They pleaded the court to set aside the government`s decision to provide new vehicles to officers.