February 16, 2006	Thursday	Muharram 17, 1427

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RAWALPINDI, Feb 15: The Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi Bench judge Abdul Shakoor Paracha has taken suo motu action against the civic bodies concerned for their negligence causing the death of an 18-month-old girl who fell into an open manhole.

Sources told Dawn that the LHC bench had summoned the city district nazim, Rawal Town nazim, Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) managing director, and executive officer of Rawalpindi Cantonment Board on February 21.

The court has ordered the officials to submit their replies as to why the manhole was not covered and why a delay was caused in the recovery of the body.

Sources said the court had taken the action after the city district government failed to make out which authority was responsible for the negligence.

“The inquiry committee that was asked to reach a decision within seven days has been unable to make a breakthrough,” sources claimed.

The sources said intervention of court in the matter might also help remove the ambiguity regarding responsibilities of different civic agencies.

Meanwhile, a source in the TMA told this reporter that UC 35 Nazim Sheikh Nasir representing the area where the tragic incident took place had informed the TMA about the open manhole, but no attention was paid to his request.

He said a senior official of the TMA had also refused to reply to the inquiry committee, adding that under such circumstances, the court intervention would prove vital in punishing the responsible officials.

“In Rawalpindi everything is ambiguous regarding distribution of powers and each authority in itself is all-in-all which adversely affects the life of the citizens,” the source said.

Rawal Town Nazim Sheikh Rashid Shafique, when contacted, said he had not received summon from the court so far.