KARACHI: Environment tribunals to be made functional: Centre tells SC bench
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Jan 5: A bench comprising Justices Abdul Hamid Dogar and Ghulam Rabbani, disposed of a petition for leave against a Sindh High Court order in terms of a federal government assurance that the environmental tribunals would be made functional to curb pollution.
Petitioner-lawyer Qazi Ali Athar submitted that a large number of trees have been axed in Karachi, particularly the City Courts premises, but his writ petition agitating the matter was dismissed by an SHC division bench on the ground that public interest issues could only be raised before the Supreme Court under Article 184 (3) of the Constitution.
The bench told the petitioner that the state minister for environment recently assured the court at Islamabad that the tribunals set up to check environmental degradation would be made fully operational.
Disposing of the petition, the lawyer was told that the Sindh environmental tribunal would be directed to take up his complaint on a priority basis.
BAN ON KITE FLYING: The Supreme Court Karachi registry directed the Punjab chief secretary on Friday to submit a report by January 22 on the proposed withdrawal of the ban on kite flying despite a restraint order by it.
An SC bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Rana Bhagwandas and Justices Abdul Hamid Mirza and Saiyed Saeed Ashhad also issued a notice to the Punjab advocate-general to assist the court when the matter comes up for hearing at Islamabad on January 22.
The chief secretary would in particular specify the measures proposed to be taken during the Basant (spring) festival scheduled in Lahore for February 25.
