Tribunal summons secretaries

KARACHI: An environment tribunal comprising chairperson Ashraf Jahan and legal member Abdul Karim Memon has summoned Sindh chief secretary and environment secretary on December 11.

The tribunal was hearing a petition filed against an ice factory located in a residential area, Jamila Street. The tribunal had directed the Sindh government in June to remove all ice factories from residential areas and to form a law on the set up of new factories within two months. The government has yet to follow the directives.

Special public prosecutor Maroof Ahmed requested the tribunal time and again to give them more time to follow the orders.

Ahmed said the Sindh chief secretary has been very busy because of the flood and should be given more time to formulate the required regulations.

The tribunal refused, however, to give them additional time. It said that setting up industrial units in residential areas is against environmental standards, especially when the units emit dangerous gases.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 1^st, 2010.