SC abolishes judges’ role in Sindh flood relief distribution monitoring

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday abolished the role of judges in Sindh flood relief distribution monitoring.

A three-member SC bench, comprising Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Ayesha A Malik, heard the appeal against the order to form committees headed by judges in Sindh flood victims’ aid distribution.

During the course of proceedings, the court declared in its order that the committees consisting of citizens would work with the government institutions as per the order of the high court. Reports regarding distribution of aid would be submitted to the high court, it added.

The chief justice remarked that the high court had a lot of respect and would not intervene in the proceedings. The case was still under hearing in the high court and all issues should be raised there, he added. He said the apex court had stopped taking suo motu notices and now there was a procedure.

Faisal Siddiqui, the lawyer for the victims, told the court that the Dadu city was drowned and children were dying. He pleaded the court to take suo motu notice over the matter. The provincial government was just waiting for aid, he added.

He said the government had two objections to the order of the Sindh High Court as no one had any objection to the formation of committees but only objection was made to judges becoming supervisors.

The Sindh advocate general said that he agreed with Faisal Siddiqui’s arguments in principle. Justice Ayesha Malik asked whether there were any committees working for the distribution of aid in Sindh.

Justice Mansoor Ali Shah inquired about the ground facts and asked if there any citizen support mechanism in National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Act. The advocate general said that Section 7 of the NDMA Act allows the formation of committees at the provincial and district levels. The issue was only for the monitoring by judges, he added. The chief justice disposed of the matter, saying that the court would issue a written order in this regard.