Pakistan court rejects petition challenging Modi's Lahore visit

Lahore: A Pakistani court on Saturday refused to entertain a petition against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit here, saying there was no urgency to hear it during winter vacations.

The petition challenging Modi's visit has been rejected by the Office of the Registrar of the Lahore High Court, a court official told PTI.

Advocate Azhar Saddique on Saturday filed the petition in the Lahore High Court stating that Modi along with his delegation visited Pakistan without any "official permission" as most of the members of the delegation travelling with him stayed at the airport premises without visa.

The Indian Premier along some members of his delegation on December 25 went to Jati Umra where Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Raiwind residence is situated near here.

The court rejected the petition saying that there was "no urgency" and that it cannot be entertained during the vacations.

Sadique said he would file the petition after the vacations.

Modi sprang a surprise with a 150-minute visit to Lahore where he greeted Sharif on his birthday and held talks during which they decided to open ways for peace for the "larger good" of the people of the two countries.

Modi made the stopover here on his way back home after a day-long unannounced visit to Afghanistan where he went following a two-day trip to Russia last month.