IHC judge Athar Minallah issued the restraining order on a petition filed by 14 traffic constables who said that while the government has approved 25 per cent from each fine to be paid to the warden issuing the fine, the amount is being withheld while the force uses that money to purchase new equipment, which they argued was unfair.
After a legal inspector representing the Islamabad Traffic Police told the court that equipment was being purchased using fine revenue, Justice Minallah observed how the wardens’ share of the fines was being diverted for any other purpose.
The court, meanwhile, directed the Inspector General of Police to submit a complete report of challans issued by the traffic police and the fines collected from violators in the last five years. The court also sought an audit report of the fines collected from traffic violators in the two weeks. The court adjourned the matter till December 22.
CNG station supply case
In a separate case, the same bench directed the managing director of Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) to appraise the court of the gas load management plan for the industrial and compressed natural gas (CNG) sectors.
The direction came on a number of petitions filed by CNG station owners from Rawalpindi, Islamabad and other cities in the Potohar region.
The petitioners contended that the government has disconnected gas supply to 314 CNG stations in the Potohar region despite the fact that they pay their electricity and gas bills. They said that the government was supplying gas to other industries, which, they claimed was discriminatory.
SNGPL counsels Ali Rukh and Hafeezullah Yaqoob told the court that due to a huge gap in supply and demand, gas supply to many industries and CNG stations have been disconnected. They said that as per the priority list, the gas distribution company was giving preference to domestic consumers.
They said that according to a contract signed with the CNG station owners, the SNGPL reserves the right to interrupt gas supply to them at any point of time.
The counsels pointed out that the gas load management issue has already been discussed by the IHC in 2011 on identical petitions. The court, however, directed the SNGPL managing director to inform the court about the current gas management plan.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 9th, 2014.
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