Govt’s reply sought on petition for price control

The petitioner said the common man could no longer afford essential commodities in Ramazan

LAHORE: Last week, Lahore High Court directed the provincial government to file a reply by June 21 on a petition against price hike during Ramazan.

Muhammad Azhar Siddique, the petitioner, had told the court that prices of essential commodities should be controlled during Ramazan but hoarding and profiteering was driving up the prices.

He said the common man could no longer afford essential commodities in Ramazan.

Siddique said hoarding, black-marketing and profiteering and the government’s failure to regulate prices of essential commodities had made life difficult for the public.

He requested the court to issue directions to Industries Department secretary to explain the mechanism for fixing and regulating prices of essential commodities.

MPA’s degree

Last week, the court directed the Punjab University to submit the record of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s (PML-Q) lawmaker Bilal Asghar Warraich’s graduation degree which had been cancelled for being bogus.

Warraich, elected to the Provincial Assembly from PP-84, Gojra, had filed a petition against the university for cancelling his degree.

The petitioner said the university had cancelled his degree without hearing his point of view.

PU’s legal advisor Awais Khalid told the court that the petitioner had forged his academic details in his admission form. He said the university had lawfully cancelled his degree.

Justice Mamoon Rasheed Sheikh adjourned hearing for a week and directed the university’s lawyer to submit complete record of the petitioner’s degree.

Health facilities

The court sought more arguments on maintainability of a petition against unavailability of health facilities at public hospitals of the City.

The court was hearing arguments on petition moved by one Liaqat Ali who said that patients were not provided free medicines at public hospitals.

He said doctors told patients to get medical tests and medicines from private diagnostic centres and stores.

He said there was no forum for complaints against doctors at public hospitals.

He said the government was focusing on the Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) project at the cost of public health facilities in the province. He requested the court to direct the Health Department to conduct surprise visits of public hospitals.

He said a one-window complaint room should be set up at hospitals to address complaints of citizens.

He said hospitals administrations should be directed to provide free medicine to patients.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 13^th, 2016.