KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Thursday directed the authorities to submit before it the criteria for fixing dairy products as dairy farmers asked the court to increase the price of fresh milk.

Headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, a two-judge bench was hearing a petition filed by a civil rights campaigner, Imran Shehzad, who had earlier moved the court for the reduction of rates of dairy products and formation of a task force to regulate their prices.

On Thursday, the counsel appearing for the dairy farmers informed the judges that they were suffering financial losses on the sale of milk at Rs85 per litre and asked the court to direct the city administration to increase the retail price of the commodity.

IG summoned in murder case of two brothers

The city commissioner submitted that the rates of dairy products were set on the recommendations of all stakeholders.

The bench sought the criteria for fixing dairy products’ prices and put off the matter to Feb 27.

According to the petitioner, the city administration has decided to increase the milk price after the wholesale milk sellers threatened that they would go on strike and stop the supply if the price was not raised.

The applicant said the authorities concerned were unable to ensure sale of milk at the administration’s fixed prices, adding that dairy products were not being sold under the Price Control and Prevention of Profiteering and Hoarding Act, 1977.

He recalled that the SHC in August 2016 had directed the authorities concerned to form a mechanism to control and maintain the prices of dairy products. However, the civil rights campaigner said the milk prices were being increased in violation of the court’s earlier order.

He asked the court to direct the city administration and law enforcement agencies, including Rangers and police, to ensure the sale of milk at reasonable rates.

Brothers’ killing case

SHC Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M. Shaikh has summoned the provincial police chief to file a compliance report on the court’s earlier orders regarding the arrest of culprits involved in the killing of two brothers — Dileep Maheshawari and Chandar Maheshawari — in Mithi.

According to official sources, the chief justice expressed displeasure over the failure of police to track down the culprits involved in the double murder. The chief justice directed the inspector general of police to ensure that the culprits should be nabbed at the earliest.

The SHC had taken notice of the incident in which two Maheshawari brothers were shot dead in their shop when they reportedly offered resistance to armed robbers on Jan 5 in Mithi.

The chief justice had directed the relevant DIG and SSP to submit a report before the court.

The Mirpurkhas DIG submitted the report and informed the judges that all-out measures were being taken for the arrest of the killers. The report said the footage of closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera was also sent to Islamabad for the identification of the shooters. “The investigation is under way, the culprits will be arrested soon,” it added.

The IG was ordered to appear before the chief justice in person on March 2 at 12 noon.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2018