Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday disposed of a suo motu case regarding shortage of medicine and other facilities in the Sandeman hospital Quetta.

The court directed the provincial government to ensure provision of medicine and other facilities in the hospitals. The court also directed the provincial government to submit progress report in this regard in the chamber of Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rehman within three months.

A three-member bench, headed by Justice Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rehman and Justice Mushir Alam, heard the case.

During the proceedings, the Balochistan additional advocate general appeared before the court and informed that the provincial government had taken steps to ensure provision of medicine and other equipment in all hospitals of the Quetta. He said that hospitals faced shortage of medicine due to strike of paramedics and now the situation was much better. The court after hearing arguments disposed of the case.

Separately, the Supreme Court stayed the execution of a person convicted by military courts and sought record from the provincial home secretary and prosecution department.

A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and comprising Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Umar Ata Bandial, heard the case filed by Jawad against his sentence. During the proceedings, Shahzad Khan, Jawad’s counsel, informed the court that the real name of accused Jawad Farooq Afghani was Muhammad Farrukh s/o Hamid Ali Jatt who belongs to district Bahawalnagar.

He said that Rawalpindi Anti-Terrorism Court had acquitted the accused in 2005.

He said that the military court awarded death sentence to Jawad over his alleged involvement in bank robbery and recovery of arms and ammunition in March 2016.

He alleged that the military court announced death sentence ignoring the real facts in the case. He said that accused was detained in Mach jail. After hearing arguments the court stayed the execution until decision of the case and issued notices to respondents. Later, hearing of the case was adjourned until last week of October.

Separately, the Supreme Court accepted appeals and stayed the verdict of Islamabad High Court regarding promotion of 57 employees from Grade 21 to 22. The court also issued notices to respondents in the case. The three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and comprising Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Umar Ata Bandial, heard the case filed by government employees against IHC verdict.

During the proceedings, Afnan Karim Kundi, counsel for employees, informed the court that the single bench of IHC dismissed employees’ appeals. He said that employees filed intra-court appeal which was accepted partially. He pleaded the court to suspend IHC verdict. The court after hearing the initial arguments accepted the appeals, issued notices to respondents and adjourned hearing until date in office.