SHC orders cabinet meeting on census

The Sindh High Court directed the federal cabinet secretary on Tuesday to immediately convene a meeting for addressing the delay in the issuance of 2017 census results.

A two-member bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, issued the directive while hearing pleas pertaining to delays in the release of census results and in turn, the local government (LG) elections.

The court also issued a notice to the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP), seeking a progress report on the ordered meeting.

At the hearing, a petitioner's counsel lamented the delay in LG polls in Karachi, at which the deputy attorney general told the court that the matter of the issuance of census results had been addressed and the relevant committee had sent its recommendations to the federal cabinet.

"The issue was only addressed after the court intervened; otherwise it would have remained unaddressed," the court observed. "Now, do you want the court to order LG elections without the relevant authorities receiving census results?" rebuked Justice Mazhar, irked at the delay. He further questioned whose inefficiency had caused the delay.

The court then directed the federal cabinet secretary to call a cabinet meeting to address the matter, asking why the issue hadn't been raised in any cabinet meetings yet and why it was taking so long to give approve the results' issuance.

In response, a statistics department official informed the court that the matter would be taken up in the Council of Common Interest after the cabinet's approval. "The committee has prepared the final report on the results and outlined its recommendations. The report will now be presented to the federal cabinet," he assured.

A petitioner, however, contended that LG elections were not linked to the issuance of census results and were being delayed for no apparent reason.

The court, though, said the delimitation of constituencies for LG polls depended on census results.

It then sought a reply from the Centre on the matter, in addition to directing the federal cabinet secretary to call a meeting to discuss the delay in census results and seeking a report from the AGP at the next hearing on January 26.

Extension granted

The same bench granted an extension to the relevant authorities for constructing jetties at Keenjhar Lake and directed the parties to study a report on safety arrangements issued by a Thatta sessions judge.

It was hearing a plea pertaining to the absence of safety measures at Keenjhar Lake, following a boating accident there earlier this year.

When Justice Mazhar enquired about the delay in the construction of jetties and watchtowers at the site, the Sindh advocate general informed him that watchtowers had been built at the lake, adding that they would soon submit a report in this regard.

But jetties could not yet be constructed as the lake's water level was very high, explained Keenjhar Lake in-charge Makhdoom Gulzar. He further told the court that so far, 32 boats had been registered at the site and more were being listed.

Following this, the court pointed out that a sessions judge from Thatta had mentioned in his report that doctors and ambulances were deployed at the site when he visited it.

Directing the parties to study the report and granting an extension to the relevant authorities to complete the construction of jetties at the lake, the court adjourned the hearing until January 18.

Simultaneous postings

At another hearing, of a plea challenging government employees holding posts at the Malir Development Authority (MDA) and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) simultaneously, the court sought the Supreme Court (SC) order issued in connection with the matter.

According to the petitioner, the apex court had issued directives for those serving in both institutions simultaneously to only be deputed where they were initially employed, but the order was not being followed. He attributed the flouting of the SC order to "a conspiracy by the relevant authorities and Sindh government."

The petitioner's counsel stated that MDA finance director Ziauddin Sabir had also been serving as a district officer at the KMC.

At this, the MDA counsel said the case proceedings in the SC had been facing delays and KMC officials posted in the MDA had been removed for their positions in the latter. He added that the SC had also issued an order regarding Sabir's deputation, implying that additional charge had been taken away from him too.

The court sought the SC order and adjourned the hearing until December 30.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 16^th, 2020.