Notices issued on plea for rape law enforcement

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has issued notices to senior federal and provincial bureaucrats, including the Principal Secretary (PS) to the Prime Minister, on a petition seeking strict implementation of the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Act 2021 to prevent increasing cases of gang-rape and child sexual abuse.

A two-member bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro, took up a petition filed by Advocate Tariq Mansoor, who argued that several incidents of gang-rape and child molestation have happened in different areas of Sindh in recent months.

He said that a law had been made for expeditious trial in such cases, but unfortunately, it is not being implemented. Advocate Tariq further said that strict implementation of the law and speedy trials would create deterrence against such incidents.

The petitioner requested for urgent hearing of his petition. On this, the bench issued notices to the PS to the PM, Federal Secretary Law, Federal Interior Secretary, Sindh Chief Secretary, IG Sindh, Sindh Law Secretary, DG NADRA and ordered them to respond by August 16. The bench also ordered the police high-ups to submit their reply at the next hearing.

Meanwhile, the SHC has fixed the hearing of a petition related to the imposition of a ban on the sale of loose cooking oil in the market for August 11. A bench, headed by Justice Arshad Hussain Khan, took up the petition filed by the counsel for the wholesalers.

The lawyer argued that the wholesalers should be granted permission to open their shops because their businesses are on the brink of destructions due to the closure of their shops. The loose oil has already been confiscated by the Sindh Food Authority from their shops.

He requested the court to order unsealing of the warehouses which also have other commodities which are being destroyed. However, the court was not impressed. The bench granted a wholesalers' request and fixed the hearing for August 11.

Earlier, the SHC in its verdict had imposed a complete ban on the sale of loose edible oil in Karachi on a plea that it was harmful for human health. It had also ordered sealing of the warehouses of the wholesalers.

Meanwhile, a lawyer submitted a 'letter of representation' in the SHC on behalf of K-Electric in a case filed by small traders against the collection of Sales Tax through electricity bills. The court adjourned the hearing till August 17 without any proceedings.

The Karachi-chapter of Anjuman-e-Tajiraan Sindh has taken the stance in its petition that the federal government's move is illegal and sought a court direction for K-Electric to exclude small traders from Sales Tax collection via bills because they don't fall in the category.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 5^th, 2022.