Daily Times

KARACHI: The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan on ordered on Friday to accomplish the S-III project (Greater Karachi Sewage Treatment Plan) within due course of time and summoned the federal secretary Finance Planning and Development (P&D) to appear before the court in the matter.

The Hearing was conducted of a 24 years old case against environmental pollution in the costal areas of Karachi held in the SC’s Karachi Registry before a two member bench comprising of Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and Justice Amir Hani Muslim. Apex Court expressed extreme displeasure over absence of federal secretaries, finance and P&D.

The bench showed its displeasure that the Federal and Provincial governments are deliberately delaying in completion of the project which is the biggest issue of densely populated city.

CJ asked about the absence of federal secretaries, the assignee officer submitted before the court that secretary Finance is busy in a meeting so he could not come to the Court, the bench remarked that we can order the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Islamabad to arrest said officers and produce them before the court.

The Chief Secretary Sindh submitted that two schemes have been approved for the treatment of sewages and to reduce pollution with the collaboration of federal government at 50 percent of funding by each but projects are getting late because of the non allocation of funds from the centre, he submitted that the Sindh government is prepared to release funds but federal government’s representative informed the court that dossier of the said scheme is ready and would be put on in the upcoming session of the Central Development Working Party (CDWP).

“Despite our requisition the CDWP had not convoyed any session since last seven months, the court may kindly direct the CDWP to convoy a session and issue funds for the projects immediately” chief secretary Sindh requested.

Apex court ordered to produce the summery regarding the disposal of sewage and industrial waste into sea through Liyari and Malir Naddi and summoned federal officials for the next hearing and warned them if they would not appear in the court, non-bail able arrest warrants would be issued. The hearing was adjourned till a date to be later announced by the court’s office.