LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday sought replies from the district coordination officer and the capital city police ofñcer about closing entry and exits points of a village on Burki Road and destruction of its sewerage system by the Defence Housing Authority (DHA).

The court also sought personal appearance of any responsible senior officer of the housing authority on next hearing.

Arif Ali and other residents of Sangatpura Village filed a petition challenging the alleged act of the DHA.

The petitionersstatedthat the housing authority blocked the roads leading to their village causing immense problems to its residents. They said the authority also destroyed the main sewerage line of the village.

They alleged that the DHA wanted to buy properties of the village and had been using unfair tactics to pressurise the residents to sell their lands at throwaway prices. The petitioners asked the court to order removal of barriers and huge heap of mud placed at the entry and exit points of the village. They also sought restoration of thevillage`s sewerage system.

Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah heard the contention and issued notices to the respondents for Nov 4.

GST STAYED: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday stayed the recovery of general sales tax (GST) levied on the professional fee of advocates and issued notices to the federal and provincial governments.

Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah passed the stay order on a petition filed by the Lahore High Court Bar Association, Lahore Tax Bar Association and Lahore Bar Association challenging the levy of 16 per cent GST on the lawyers.

LHCBA President Pir Masood Chishti argued before the court that the levy of the impugned tax on the fee of advocates would make the provision of justice unaffordable.

He said the litigant public would have to bear the burden of the tax in addition to the fee to engage an advocate. He prayed to the court to strike down the levy of the GST.

Justice Shah, as an interim relief, stayed the recovery of the GST from lawyers and issued notices to the governments. The judge also sought assistance of the attorney general and the advocate general Punjab on next hearing.