SC demands written responses

Written reply sought from federation, chief secretaries of Sindh, Balochistan, NDMA regarding breaches in barrages.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday sought a written reply from the federation, the chief secretaries of Sindh and Balochistan, National Disaster Management Authority and various other departments about the breaches in barrages and canals.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was presiding over the suo motu hearing of the alleged illegal diversion of floodwater and illegal breaches in the embankments of barrages and canals. The suo motu notice was taken in response to letters by Justice (retired) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim and Deputy Chairman Senate Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali.

The television footage of the floods, recorded by various television channels, as well as satellite pictures of barrages and canals provided by the Survey of Pakistan were presented before the court. “The truth can be unveiled with the help of these satellite pictures and footages,” the chief justice observed.

He also said that TV anchors who visited the flood-hit areas can submit their reports voluntarily to provide assistance in the case.

Pakistan Muslim League - Quaid leader Marvi Memon also filed a petition on the consequences of the devastation caused by the floods. She told the court that floodwater was diverted to Balochistan from Jacobabad to save the Shahbaz airbase which is used by the US forces.

“I do not trust the probe commissions of the provincial governments therefore I contacted the Supreme Court for justice,” she said.

Memon argued that influential people of the area breached the embankments of canals and barrages to serve their own interests but the government failed to take any notice.

Justice Chaudhry directed Memon to appear before a commission in Punjab that is probing dyke breaches and asked her to prove her allegations regarding the breach of Tori Bund.

The court also issued notices to the Geological Survey of Pakistan to present more satellite pictures of dykes in the next hearing and directed the chief secretaries of Sindh and Blochistan to present transparent and factual reports after consulting experts. The hearing was adjourned till November 10.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 26^th, 2010.