LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday expressed dismay over the Ministry of Petroleum for not submitting its reply to a petition questioning levy of 50pc sales tax on petroleum products.

Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh directed a deputy attorney general to submit the ministry’s reply on next hearing without fail otherwise warrants would be issued for the arrest of the secretary petroleum.

Earlier, the law officer of the federal government told the court that the secretary petroleum was out of country so more time should be given to file the reply.

The judge reminded the officer that the ministry had been delaying its reply for more than five months and the court had been showing restraint. The judge gave a last opportunity to the government’s lawyer and asked him to submit the ministry’s reply on Oct 20.

Judicial Activism Panel chairman Advocate Azhar Siddique filed the petition contending that the federal government had been charging more than 50pc GST on diesel and prices of petroleum were not being decreased in the light of the international market.

He said the increase in the GST on petroleum products was in violation of the Supreme Court rulings. He asked the court to declare the increase in the sales tax illegal.

report sought: The Lahore High Court on Friday sought a report from the Punjab Health Department about its actions to control outbreak of measles and diphtheria in the province.

A citizen through a public interest petition contended that lives of children were at stake due to measles and diphtheria. He said at least six deaths had been reported due to the outbreak and the authorities concerned had failed to take any effective measure to control it.

He stated that the Punjab government had been using the budget of the health department on development projects. The petitioner asked the court to order the department to take prompt and concrete steps to control the outbreaks.

Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh heard the contention of the petitioner and sought the department to report by Oct 23.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2016