The Lahore High Court (LHC) has ruled that operating a snooker club is a legal and permissible business and that no law bans the activity. Justice Jawad Zafar issued a five-page written judgment while deciding an appeal filed by a citizen, Muhammad Rashid. The court set aside a trial court order.
In its ruling, the court held that running a snooker club falls within lawful recreational activities. The judgment stated that the Constitution grants every citizen the right to conduct a legal business and that existing laws do not prohibit snooker or billiards clubs.
The court further ruled that billiards and snooker are neither immoral nor illegal under the law. It observed that authorities cannot shut down a business operating within the legal framework for an indefinite period based on vague or unsubstantiated complaints.
According to the case record, the petitioner operated a snooker club in Sargodha, where members of the public played billiards and snooker for recreation.