Comments sought on plea against garbage dumping along railway tracks

Petitioner says authorities have disregarded

federal ombudsman’s orders to remove the trash

The Sindh High Court has called in comments from the advocate general of Sindh, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, cantonment boards and others on a petition against garbage dumping and overflowing sewage on railway tracks in the city.

The petitioner, Abdul Hamid Dagia, has submitted that massive amounts of garbage was being openly dumped along railway tracks in cantonments and others area of the city, and no action was being taken for its removal.

He submitted that he had filed representation before the federal ombudsman for redressal of the issue, and the ombudsman had ordered the civic and land-owning agencies to remove the garbage at the earliest.

Lamenting the non-compliance of the ombudsman’s orders, the petitioner requested the court to direct the respondents to remove the garbage at the earliest. The court took exception over the non-filing of comments by the official respondents and directed them to file their respective comments by May 9.

Gutka sale 

The SHC directed the home department, KMC and others to file comments on a petition against manufacturing and sale of gutka and mainpuri in the city. The petitioner, Muzammil Mumtaz, submitted that the two products were known to be injurious to health but were still being openly manufactured and sold in the city.

Citing the various negative health impacts of the products, he submitted that government functionaries were not taking any steps to stop their production and sale.

Giving them two weeks time, the court directed the provincial law officer, KMC and others to submit their respective replies detailing as to what actions were being taken over the matter.

Mirpurkhas circuit bench

The SHC issued notices to the provincial law officer and others on a petition seeking establishment of a circuit bench in Mirpurkhas.

The Mirpurkhas Bar Association had submitted in the petition that the provincial assembly has passed a resolution for establishment of a circuit bench in Mirpurkhas, but the decision was not being implemented by the provincial government.

The petitioner’s counsel submitted that litigants and lawyers were facing difficulties in filing cases at the Hyderabad circuit bench and requested the court to direct the government to establish the Mirpurkhas circuit bench to hear cases related to Mirpurkhas division.

The court directed the provincial law officer to submit details of cases related to Mirpurkhas division that were being heard at the Hyderabad circuit bench.