PHC CJ takes notice of presence of drug addicts in parks

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) while taking notice of the presence of a large number of drug addicts in different parks of the city directed the authorities to take action against the officials concerned for their negligence.

PHC Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan directed the police and other departments to take action against the officials who were not performing their duty. "There are a large number of drug addicts in parks. Take action against the SHOs [station house officers] who are not performing their duty and replace them with competent ones," he remarked in a case filed for improving the conditions of the parks in the provincial capital.

The superintendent of police city told the court that they are taking action and the situation would improve soon. The deputy director of the Forest Department told the court that they had planted more plants and saplings in the historic Wazir Bagh. He suggested that people should be stopped from visiting the park so that the newly planted plants and trees could grow.

The chief justice ordered to close the park for visitors for a month. He directed the officials of the Forest Department to visit the historic parks in Lahore to know what measures have been taken there for the improvement of those places. The court adjourned the hearing in the case till October 27.

Meanwhile, the PHC summoned the federal Health secretary on the next hearing on September 23 in a case against the increase in prices of medicines. The chief justice remarked that poor people cannot buy medicines after the increase in prices in the last few years. He remarked that the government could not introduce any policy on the prices of medicines in the last four years.

The chief justice said there must be a mechanism for prices of drugs as well as charges of laboratory and other requirements for the patients. He remarked that the government should take the issue seriously as it affected millions of people. The court adjourned the case till September 23 and summoned the health secretary and other relevant officials.