LAHORE, July 4: A Supreme Court bench headed by the chief justice served a notice on the Sheikhupura DPO seeking explanation on steps taken by the district administration in preventing the sale of kidneys.

The apex court issued the notice while hearing a plaint sent to the chief justice through a letter by a citizen, Mumtaz Bhatti. The chief justice turned his letter into a writ petition to be heard by the apex court in its original jurisdiction.

Mumtaz stated in his letter that illegitimate trade of kidneys and other human organs was in progress in the district without a cognizance by police which were not discharging their duty within the four corners of the law.

He stated that in most cases, people were constrained to sell kidneys for the only reason of mitigating their poverty. He submitted that a majority of the people selling their kidneys belonged to the farming community who were under the burden of loans.

He requested the court to issue directions to the district administration to prevent the illegal trade. —Correspondent