KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Wednesday directed the provincial government to file its reply by Thursday to a petition seeking the devolution of Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) from the Sindh government to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC).

Mayor Wasim Akhtar petitioned the high court, submitting that the board was created under the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board Act, 2014.

He quoted the Supreme Court’s order in which it had called for the devolution of the board to local bodies under the rules of business in view of its below par performance.

The petitioner maintained that despite the directives of the apex court, steps were not being taken to transfer the SSWMB to the elected local representatives.

He pleaded to the judges to direct the authorities concerned to transfer all the assets falling under the umbrella of the 2014 act to the local government institutions.

The court was further requested to direct the respondents to give complete details of all the funds, which they had received for the purpose of solid waste management, how the same were spent, and to appoint a reputable auditor to find the facts.

The court had to put off the matter till Thursday after a provincial government law officer informed the court that Advocate General Zamir Ghumro could not appear in court to file the government’s comments on the petition as he was busy before the Supreme Court.

He requested the court to grant time so that the AG would file a reply to the arguments advanced by the petitioner’s lawyer, barrister Farogh Naseem.

Granting the request, a two-judge bench directed the AG to submit the reply by Thursday.

Mayor’s counsel Farogh Naseem had in his concluding arguments stated that the Sindh government’s act of not transferring the authority to the KMC was a violation of Article 140 of the Constitution.

He pointed out that the Supreme Court had clearly directed the government to transfer the functions of the SSWMB to the local government institutions, but the respondent had failed to implement such order despite a lapse of four months.

He contended that waste management and cleanliness were the responsibility of local governments.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2017