LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday banned use of plastic bags at all mega stores in the provincial metropolis and gave them 15-day deadline to comply with the order and switch to alternative shopping bags.

Justice Shahid Karim passed the order on an application moved by Haroon Farooq seeking a direction to the Punjab government to legislate on banning use, manufacture and sale of polythene bags and introduce a necessary legislation in this regard.

During the hearing, petitioner’s counsel Barrister Abuzar Salman Niazi told the court that in October 2019, the provincial chief secretary had given an undertaking to a full bench in a separate case that the government would introduce law on prohibition of polythene bags. However, he said, nothing had been done so far by the government.

He argued that the acts and omissions of the government were in clear violation of Article 9 and 14 of the Constitution, which deal with fundamental rights of citizens.

The counsel contended that being most thickly populated province, the polythene bags were used in Punjab in great variety and huge numbers.

As per the latest research of local and international organisations, he said, the polythene bags were found to have been a cause of major environment disasters.

He explained to the court that these bags, irrespective of thickness, could cause sewerage system damage, spread of diseases/epidemics, soil pollution, water pollution, floods, eventually leading to severe environment pollution and human health hazards in both urban and rural areas of Punjab.

He said the plastic bags were not only dangerous for human health but also hazardous to animal and aquatic life.

He pointed out that the stores run by cantonment boards had already abandoned plastic bags and switched to rags.

Barrister Niazi asked the court to direct the provincial government to immediately ban manufacturing, sale and usage of polythene bags in the province and to introduce a new legislation providing for a complete ban.

After hearing the arguments, Justice Karim observed that the plastic bags were a major cause of environment pollution.

As a first step, the judge restrained all mega stores from using plastic bags and switch to environment friendly material within 15 days. He also directed a law officer to ensure compliance of the order and adjourned hearing till the next Friday.

Promotion: The Lahore High Court on Friday sought replies from Punjab chief secretary and other respondents on a petition by a communication & works department’s superintendent engineer against denial of promotion in BS-20.

Petitioner Abdul Khaliq submitted through a counsel that he had been treated discriminatory by the authorities as several officers junior to him had been promoted since 2016. He alleged that he had been denied promotion for not having any political backing.

Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti directed the respondents to submit their replies by next week.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2020