HYDERABAD, May 5: The Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit bench, dismissed as not pressed an application filed by lawyer Mohammad Ishaque Qureshi here on Wednesday. The petitioner had requested the court to restrain the irrigation department from mixing poisonous and contaminated water of Manchhar Lake into the River Indus by any ratio, either directly or indirectly.

The petitioner appeared in person to argue the case as his previous constitutional petition (167/0) on the same issue filed when a water crisis hit the city last year was pending in the court, besides some public interest litigations filed before the Sindh High Court and the Sessions Court.

Taking notice of the fact that reports about a miscellaneous application had appeared in newspapers before it was taken-up by the court, the division bench comprising Mr Justice Muhammad Mujeebullah Siddiqui and Mr Justice Mohammad Moosa K.Leghari asked the lawyer how could the application be reported in newspapers when it had not been heard by it. The lawyer replied that journalists obtained it through their own sources in the court.

However, he undertook to file a fresh petition and accordingly did not press the application which was dismissed.