IHC issues notice on award of fishing contracts in Rawal Dam

Petitioner’s lawyer says fish are being brought into the reservoir from outside

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday issued pre-admission notices to the fisheries department and other respondents on a petition filed against awarding of the fishing contract in Rawal Dam.

This was directed by a single-member bench of IHC comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah.

During the hearing, the chief justice remarked if the petitioner wanted all contracts to be revoked and fish stay in the dam.

Furthers, he asked the petitioner what connection he had to the matter or whether he wanted people to stop eating fish.

CJ Minallah remarked that the sewerage from Bani Gala was being dumped in the dam and that a petition should have been filed on matter of public concern rather than on the award of fishing contracts.

The petitioner’s lawyer contended that they had applied as fish were being introduced into the dam from outside.

The livestock department releases fry in the dam which grows up into fish.

At this, the court asked where it has been written in the law that fish cannot be stocked in the dam’s water. The lawyer argued that a lot of fish had died in the water during the past three years and the required measures were not taken. Hence, he contended that it was not possible per the law to lease out Rawal Dam for fishing.

The court asked when was the last time such a contract had been awarded. To this, the petitioner’s lawyer responded that the last auction had been held in 2017.

CJ Minallah inquired whether the petitioner was an expert on fish, to which the petitioner’s counsel responded that his client was not attending the hearing.

The chief justice remarked that it seems some locals are using the petitioner as their front-man. “Why does the petitioner want to stop the contract auction?” the chief justice asked.

The bench subsequently served notices to the Punjab Fisheries Department and adjourned hearings of the case for two weeks.

Petition seeks inquiry into Tezgam fire

A petition has been filed in IHC on Thursday for a judicial inquiry into the Tezgam fire incident and the disbursement of compensation amongst the families of the victims.

The application has been filed by Shafiq Ullah, the former general manager of Pakistan Railways, in which he lists the Federal Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, Railways secretary and six other officials as respondents.

The petitioner maintained that the train caught fire due to a short circuit in the rolling stock.

The death toll in the October 31, 2019, incident was more than 75 while several others were injured, he stated.

He pleaded the court to order a judicial inquiry into the incident along with directing swift payment of compensation to families of the deceased as well as the injured.

Secretary health summoned

The IHC on Thursday expressed dismay over non-appearance of Health Secretary Dr Allah Bakhsh despite being summoned by the court in a contempt-of-court case.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard a petition filed for initiating contempt proceedings against the appointment of National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (NIRM) Executive Director Dr Fazal-i-Moula in violation of court orders.

The court, during the previous hearing, had ordered Health Services Secretary Dr Allah Bakhsh to appear before it in person.

The IHC chief justice again ordered the health secretary to appear at the next hearing and warned him that contempt proceedings will be initiated against him if the officer fails to comply.

Later, the court adjourned the hearing till January 14.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 3^rd, 2020.