Flood commission: Action sought over non-implementation of judge’s findings

LAHORE:

A petition has been filed in Lahore High Court (LHC) requesting the court to order the government to take action against those responsible for not implementing the recommendations of a commission headed by Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah following the floods that year. The commission had issued a report carrying recommendations to prevent floods and to mitigate disasters caused by them.

Human Safety Commission of Pakistan has filed the petition through its chairman Advocate Pir Ali Gilani. It requested the court to order the government to implement the recommendations.

Gilani said floods damaged public property, livestock, agriculture and claim many lives almost every year. Quoting official statistics, he said 17 people had died, 2,939 suffered various skin diseases, 1,686 reported fever and 619,534 animals had been displaced due to rains and floods this year.

“People have been again affected by floods but the government is doing nothing but holding meetings.”

Gilani said that in his report, Justice Shah had given cogent recommendations to deal with floods. Instead of implementing those, he said, the government had been focusing on other projects.

The petitioner said implementation of the report’s recommendations could help the government effectively deal with floods. “Action must be taken against the government functionaries who did not implement those,” he said.

The petition has named among others the chief minister and the chief secretary as respondents. Gilani has requested the LHC to order proceedings against them under Sections 166 (disobeying law with intent to causing injury), 167 (framing an incorrect document), 283, 322 (manslaughter), 427 and 431 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 1^st, 2015.