Appointment of EPA DG questioned in metro train case

LAHORE

Appointment of the Punjab director-general Environment Protection Agency was questioned before the Lahore High Court on Tuesday during the hearing of petitions against the metro train project.

A division bench comprising Justice Shahid Karim and Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh is hearing several petitions against the project.

The petitioner counsel told the court that how the EPA DG could perform its duty as per the law when his own appointment was illegal?

He pointed out that only a person from PMS/APUG of 20 grade or a 19 grade official from the department could only be eligible for appointment.

But the incumbent, Dr Javed Iqbal, belongs to Public Health Engineering and HUD.

The counsel said as the DG's appointment was illegal and in order to save his job he was taking no interest in compliance of the EIA report of the project.

He claimed the Punjab government had lied regarding facts of the project as, according to him, the entire EIA report and other details about the project submitted by the EPA Punjab were not true.

He submitted that the chief minister was also kept in the dark by the Environment Department regarding the appointment of the EPA Punjab DG as he did not had enough expertise required for the project.

After hearing the arguments of petitioners’ lawyer, the court asked the Punjab government to submit all record relating to local contractors of the project and reports about safety measures at the project site.

The court also sought personal appearance of the EPA Punjab director general and to provide all reports regarding the health, safety and environment in the court.  The court will resume hearing on Wednesday (today).