Anti-dengue campaign: ‘Why wasn’t the court asked before extension?’

Chief minister, Health secretary and DCO told to reply by Nov 28.

LAHORE:

Notices were issued to the chief minister and health secretary on a contempt of court petition against the extension of duration of anti-dengue drive without obtaining the court’s permission.

Justice Khalid Mahmood Khan of the Lahore High Court sought replies from the respondents by November 28. Notices were also issued to district coordination officer (DCO) Ahad Cheema, district officer (Revenue) and other officials of city district government.

The petitioner, Medical Laboratories (Pvt) Ltd submitted that the city government and Health Department had earlier registered a case against them for charging more than Rs90 for checking patients’ platelet counts. The laboratory had approached the court and the LHC had quashed the case against the petitioner on September 22, while directing them to charge the government-fixed price in public interest till November 15 “to cooperate with the government in its efforts against the dengue fever epidemic”. The Punjab government was instructed, in the order, to take permission from the LHC, if it wanted the labs to charge Rs90 after November 15.

The petitioner submitted that the Punjab government had extended the anti-degnue rules till November 30, without seeking the court’s permission. The government had given an undertaking before the court and therefore was legally bound to comply with court orders, they said.

It prayed to the court to initiate contempt of court proceedings against Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Health secretary Jahanzeb Khan, DCO Ahad Cheema and others city district government officials.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 19^th, 2011.