Chief secretary, others fail to implement Supreme Court’s orders. PHOTO: REUTERS
The notices were issued to the chief secretary, irrigation and power secretary - who is also the chairperson of the commission-appointed task force - health secretary, industries secretary, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) managing director, Sindh Industrial Trading State managing director, Sindh Environmental Protection Agency director-general, Solid Waste Management Board managing director, Karachi Port Trust chairperson, and Water and Sanitation Agency, Hyderabad director-general.
Judicial commission orders testing of water supplied to citizens in Sindh
Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro, the Sindh High Court judge who heads the one-man commission, had passed the direction to the issue show-cause notices to the above mentioned respondents to explain why proceedings of wilful contempt of court should not be initiated against them for their failure to implement the Supreme Court’s orders.
A three-member apex court bench, headed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim, had passed several orders regarding water, sanitation and other issues while hearing amalgamated petitions at the Supreme Court’s Karachi Registry on March 6, 8, 13 and 16.
"Accordingly, you are directed to explain as to why proceedings of wilful contempt of court orders shall not be initiated against you. You are further directed to submit your reply and be present before the learned commission on [July 1]," read the notice.
During the previous hearing, Justice Kalhoro had expressed his displeasure over the performance of the provincial government on the implementation of the top court’s orders. On the water crises in the city, he had commented that there was a hand-made crisis because illegal hydrants were being allowed to operate in the city unchecked. This has been done for the past 15 years and surprisingly the government has not done anything to stop it or save people from being robbed of their basic right, he observed.
Judicial commission gets high court powers to implement its orders
On the matter of the rehabilitation of the water filtration and sewerage treatment plants TP-I and TP-III, the commission had said that the committee, comprising Local Government Secretary Ramzan Awan, KWSB Managing Director Hashim Raza Zaidi and others, failed to do the job. Neither were the above-mentioned treatment plants made functional, nor were the water filtration plants and laboratories in Gharo rehabilitated, the judge observed, adding that such failure on the part of the concerned officials is tantamount to violation of the court orders.
On the issue of the Right Bank Outfall Drain-II, Justice Kalhoro said that it appears that the federal and provincial governments have still not been able to sort out their differences over starting the construction on remaining part of the canal.
The commission also heard matter relating to Sindh Environment Protection Agency, Solid Waste Management Board, and others.
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