The Lahore High Court rejected a request from taxi drivers to bring back their airport entry pass and taxi sticker. According to the court, working inside the airport is special permission and not an automatic right.
The Lahore High Court decided that the Pakistan Airports Authority can stop certain cab drivers from working inside the airport. According to the official order, transport operators cannot claim a permanent right to do business inside controlled state facilities.
Market experts said this decision shows that companies running airport transport services must strictly follow the legal boundaries of the airport management.
Rules Overrule Right to Work
The drivers went to court because the airport manager took away their permission to pick up passengers.
According to the detailed nine-page judgment, the airport manager rejected the requests of the drivers following multiple complaints regarding passenger facilitation and operational discipline.
The court ruled that the airport manager exercised legal powers under the Pakistan Airports Authority Act 2023 to maintain safe operations and public interest.
Constitutional Rights and Business Limits
The petitioners argued that the cancellation of their security passes violated their constitutional right to earn a livelihood under Article 18.
According to the court, the freedom to conduct business remains subject to reasonable restrictions imposed by law within sensitive zones.
Market analysts noted that the decision does not ban the drivers from running their transport business altogether. The restriction applies only to the controlled airport facility. The drivers are still free to find customers and give transport services in the rest of the city.
The court added that the drivers can apply for new permissions later if they follow the standard process.
