Controversial LED project hits legal snag

A controversial project aimed at replacing streetlights around the capital city Islamadad has hit a legal snag. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday restrained the Capital Development Authority from executing the Rs6.5 billion project under which 65,000 conventional streetlights in the city would be replaced with Light Emitting Diode (LED) ones. Justice Azim Khan Afridi admitted a petition filed by two lawyers challenging the project and fixed its hearing for next week. Advocates Muhammad Naseem and Shajjar Abbas had filed the petition on May 20 seeking cancellation of the costly project to prevent misappropriation of public funds. Government and independent watchdogs also raised questions over the project.