From Abid Usman
LAHORE: Reacting to the Lahore High Court’s ruling barring the Punjab government from distributing bikes among students, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Monday requested the court not to interfere in the executive’s affairs.
Addressing a ceremony at the Government Polytechnic College for Girls, the chief executive said: “People are watching if you interfere in the executive’s affairs.”
Her remarks came after the LHC last week barred the provincial government from distributing electric and petrol-run motorcycles among students and suggested that electric buses should be promoted instead. The provincial government, by flouting the LHC’s ruling, held e-balloting to give bikes to the students in interest-free and soft instalments under the Chief Minister’s Youth Initiative programme at the CM’s office on Saturday.
Expressing her displeasure over the judgment, the CM said: “We introduced the bike scheme for students. LHC judge stopped it.”
Referring to the honourable judge’s remarks on the proceedings, the chief minister said that she could not stop laughing when she heard the verdict.
“It was said that if bikes were distributed among the children [students], they would flock round the girls’ schools.”
Reacting to the judge’s remarks, CM Maryam said that those who have to go around girls’ schools, have their own motorbikes.
It was also said in the verdict that wheelie would be done on e-bikes.
Taunting the judge, the province’s chief executive said: “There should be a little knowledge, one-wheeling cannot be done on e-bikes.”
CM Maryam pleaded with the court to review its verdict regarding the e-bikes.
Firing a fresh salvo at the PTI in the backdrop of May 9 mahyum, the chief minister said that PML-N never gave batons and petrol bombs in the hands of children.
Riots broke out in many parts of the country, especially in Rawalpindi, with charged mobs vandalising private and public properties including military installations following PTI founder Imran Khan’s arrest last year.
It is pertinent to mention here that LHC Judge Justice Shahid Karim, last week, rejected the government’s policy presented in the court with regard to e-bikes. The court had observed that no bikes should be distributed before the formation of a new policy. The court had also asked the government to explain where and how many bikes were being given.
Justice Karim had observed that giving students e-bikes might lead to reckless behaviour like one-wheeling. He had said boys might gather around girls’ colleges if they had e-bikes.
Instead, he suggested providing colleges with electronic buses, observing that this would promote safer and more eco-friendly travel for students.
