The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday stopped implementation of a notification for transferring the management of Data Darbar General & Eye Hospital from the Auqaf Department to the Anti-Narcotics Force, till further orders.
Justice Shahid Karim passed the orders while hearing a petition filed by Ayaz Habib of Anjuman Behbood-e-Marizan Data Darbar and others. The court also issued notice to the Punjab government and other respondents and sought reply.
The petitioners’ counsel Asad Manzoor Butt argued before the court that the Data Darbar Hospital was inaugurated in 1961 with an aim to provide free treatment to the pilgrims of Data Darbar and local community. He submitted that about 500,000 patients received free treatment annually from the hospital but now the caretaker government had handed over the hospital of the Auqaf Department to the Anti-Narcotics Force. He contended that the step was illegal as the autonomous institution of the provincial Auqaf Department could not be handed over to a federal entity.
