An NGO moved the court maintaining that gutka was produced from hazardous material and spreading cancer of oral cavity in thousands of young men and other persons who consume it.
Today arguing the petition, the honorary secretary of the NGO, stated that despite orders and announcement by the federal interior minister, Sindh home minister and other high officials of the provincial government, gutka is being sold every where in the city with impunity.
He submitted that police and home department are ignoring the sale of it and instead are facilitating the trade.
Given the level of damage, immediate measures to curb its sale are necessary, the petitioner maintained seeking issuance of contempt of court notices to the respondent officials adding that despite notice of the petition three times, no comments were filed till date by the respondents including police, home department and other officers.
The bench, comprising Justice Maqbool Baqar and Justice Nisar Muhammad Shaikh, after hearing initial arguments on the application for contempt of court, ordered its office to issue notices for a date to be fixed later.
Ombudsman
The same bench hearing another petition by the same NGO ordered issuance of notices to Sindh governor, Provincial Ombudsman and others for an unspecified date.
The petitioner questions the appointment of Asad Ashraf Malik as provincial ombudsman for the second term. He argued that a person can be appointed as ombudsman only once for a four-year term after which he has to be replaced by a new individual. No extension could be given to any body. The petitioner prayed to the court to strike down the appointment of Mr Malik for a second term as illegal void and ab initio.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 28th, 2012.
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