The Lahore High Court has fined the Punjab Food Authority Rs100,000 after its senior counsel failed to appear for a hearing, with the court warning that the Director General must appear in person if the fine is not deposited.
According to media reports, Justice Khalid Ishaq issued the order while hearing petitions filed by Hafiz Sohail Raza and Muhammad Shahbaz.
During proceedings, only a junior counsel represented the Punjab Food Authority, prompting Justice Khalid Ishaq to question the repeated absence of senior legal representation.
The judge noted that the case had remained pending since 2019 without substantive arguments being presented, and directed the Food Authority’s counsel to deposit the Rs100,000 fine at the court dispensary.
The court adjourned a separate but related petition concerning the non-appointment of Assistant Director positions within the Food Authority. The petitioners had approached the High Court after the posts remained unfilled, and the matter will be taken up at a later date.
