Daily Times

KARACHI: The Judicial Commission, set up to inquire into the government’s failure to provide safe drinking water and sanitation facilities, has given 10 days time to the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) on Monday to collect water samples from the remaining districts and submit its report by Jan 23.

Headed by Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro the commission of inquiry was informed by Dr Ghulam Murtaza, a senior research officer, appointed as amicus curiae that water samples were collected from five different cities, including Karachi, Sukkur, Badin Tando Muhammad Khan and Hyderabad. However, samples from the remaining district will be collected by Jan 11.

The commission has also appointed Suleman Chandio, former special secretary local government department, as amicus curiae to assist it in its inquiry into water woes and poor sanitary conditions. The Sindh chief secretary, Clifton Cantonment Board’s executive chief officer, Pakistan Railways’ divisional engineer, Karachi Water & Sewerage Board, the managing directors of the Site and WASA and others filed their concise statements.

The commission issued notices to the chief executive officer of the Koranig Creek and Civil Aviation Authority Karachi director general and SITE Associations of Korangi, Landi and North Karachi to file their responses.

The apex court had earlier on Dec 27 ordered formation of a commission headed by a high court judge to probe the allegations of the petitioner who had gone to the court against the provincial government and civic authorities for failing to provide potable water and clean environment to the people of the province.