SHC issues notices to owners for operating factory in residential area

The Sindh High Court on Wednesday issued notices to owners of a plastic factory on a contempt of court application alleging that the factory was still working in a residential area of North Nazimabad despite court orders.

Applicant Mohammad Akhtar and others submitted in the application that the private alleged contemnors were using the residential premises for manufacturing plastic though various orders of the court had been passed against the use of the residential space for that purpose.

They said the high court had not only ordered disconnecting the electricity of the factory but also the sealing of the property. They said the court had observed that running a plastic factory in the residential area was health hazardous to the inhabitants and the deputy commissioner of District Central should take immediate action for the removal of the factory or its sealing.

They submitted that the alleged contemnors were directed to remove the machinery and equipment from the premises within two weeks, and told the authorities concerned to submit the compliance report.

The applicants submitted that the alleged contemnors did not comply with the court directives nor did they remove the machinery and other equipment from the premises within two weeks.

They said the alleged contemnors were still operating the plastic factory in the residential area and had also removed the official seal from the main gate, a violation of the court orders. They requested the court to order action against the contemnors for violating the court orders.

A division bench headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro, after the preliminary hearing of the application, issued notices to the alleged contemnors through the SHO of the Tamuria police station. The court observed that the SHO shall appear before the court and submit a report as whether the premises were being used by the alleged contemnors for an industrial purpose and the manufacturing of plastic utensils. It directed the SHO to submit a compliance report by August 3.