No steps taken to end pollution since 2003: SC | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

No steps taken to end pollution since 2003: SC

Pakistan Press Foundation

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court yesterday sought a comprehensive report from the federation and all the four provincial governments pertaining to the steps taken by them to overcome the environmental pollution emanating from various sources in the country.

Appearing before a three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, in a suo-motu action regarding environmental pollution, additional advocate generals of all the four provinces submitted reports in the matter in pursuance of the court’s earlier directives.
The chief justice expressed dissatisfaction over the report, declaring it eyewash and observed that no concrete steps had been taken to address the worsening environmental conditions in Pakistan since 2003.

It is worth mentioning that the then chief justice of the Supreme Court had also taken a suo-motu notice in 2003 over the environmental pollution and had issued notices to the federation and all the four provinces in this regard.

During the course of proceedings, the bench questioned whether the court should leave the masses at the mercy of the government amid its bad governance, adding first the government borrows money for completion of a project and second time for making it operational.

The Sindh additional advocate general told the court that the provincial government had issued notices to various industries over pollution. The chief justice remarked the burning heaps of filth were polluting Karachi every morning. A member of the bench questioned whether they should personally visit every nook and corner of Karachi to issue orders to clean the city.

The KP additional advocate general told the court that a billion tree tsunami scheme had been launched in the province. The director general (environment) told the court that water treatment plants in Peshawar were not functional for lack of funds. The bench asked the KP additional advocate general why the provincial government was not releasing funds for the plants.
Hearing of the case was adjourned until January 2016.

The Nation