SHC CJ orders probe into Larkana budget

FIA to investigate tenders, construction work on manholes after minor girl dies

KARACHI:

A bench of the Sindh High Court led by Chief Justice Ahmed Ali Shaikh directed the Federal Investigation Agency on Tuesday to investigate the budget reserved for the sewerage system in Larkana while hearing a plea pertaining to the death of a minor girl after falling into a manhole.

The Larkana deputy commissioner and other officials appeared before the bench .

A report submitted by the Larkana DC stated that tenders need to be advertised for the contracts to be awarded at a specific rate. Rejecting the report, the court observed that three contractors in Larkana had submitted affidavits stating that they were willing to redo the work on the manhole covers if it was dissatisfactory. The affidavits imply that the work done by them earlier was not satisfactory, remarked the CJ.

The court directed FIA to investigate the issuance of tenders, the construction work and the use of the budget allocated in 2020 for Larkana's sewerage system, and sought a report by February 23.

Gas shortage

Meanwhile, a two-member bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and comprising Justice Amjad Ali Sahito, granted an extension for submission of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority's reply in a case pertaining to gas shortage in Karachi.

The petitioner has contended that 68 per cent of the country's gas is produced in Sindh but supply shortage prevails in the province. The plea moved the court to direct the relevant authorities to resolve the gas crisis in Sindh.

The Sui Southern Gas Company submitted its reply. The bench inquired from the deputy attorney general about OGRA's reply.

Submit it in writing if OGRA does not come under the federal government, directed Justice Mazhar, adding that a verbal reply would not do.

Following this the court granted the federal lawyer an extension to submit OGRA's reply.

Missing persons case

Another two-member SHC bench, headed by Justice Phulpoto, sought separate reports from the interior ministry focal person and other authorities over petitions seeking the recovery of missing persons. The bench expressed displeasure at the law enforcement agencies for their failure to recover missing persons.

During the hearing, the wife of missing citizen Omar Siddiqui stated before the court that her husband has been missing for three years. A joint-investigation team had been formed but it could not trace him.

"JITs are formed, provincial task force meetings are held but missing citizens are not recovered," observed the court. Justice Phulpoto remarked that senior officials will be summoned if the missing persons are not recovered.

Observing that 10 JITs have been formed for each of the missing persons but no results had been achieved, the court directed the interior ministry focal person and other authorities to look into every case separately and submit reports at the next hearing on March 18.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 17^th, 2021.