KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has expressed resentment over provincial authorities for not complying with its earlier order about formation of a committee to send proposals to the cabinet for necessary amendment in relevant law to control unauthorised use of CNG kits and cylinders in public transport and school vans.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar directed the additional advocate general (AAG) and focal person of the transport department to come up with a progress report on Dec 20 regarding the compliance of its last order.

The bench said that it had passed a detailed order in December last year directing the chief secretary to ensure that a committee was constituted within 10 days with the terms of reference (ToRs) and it would forward a proposal to the cabinet within one month from the date of its notification.

The AAG informed the bench that the cabinet had considered to make necessary amendments in the Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1956 to confer the powers to control unauthorised CNG kit and cylinders to the transport department.

PIA chief, others put on notice on Palpa’s plea against change in salary structure of pilots

One of the petitioners informed the bench that according to Rule 129 of the Mineral and Industrial Gases Safety Rules 2010, no person shall fill any cylinder with any compressed gas or import, possess or transport any cylinder so filled or intended to be filled with such gas unless such cylinder and its valve have been constructed to a type and standard approved by the chief inspector of explosives and inspection certificate issued by the inspecting authorities in respect of cylinders.

In order to ascertain whether the said rule was being implemented, the bench summoned the chief inspector-explosives with a direction to appear on the next hearing.

The petitioners had moved the SHC stating that substandard CNG cylinders were being used in public transport as well as in school vans despite the directions of the court and no action was being taken against such vehicles.

Citing the home secretary, transport secretary, DIG-traffic, Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) and others as respondents, they asked the court to direct the respondents to take action against traffic police engaged in demanding bribes and to restrain public transport vehicles and school vans from using substandard CNG cylinders and overloading.

Notices to PIA chief, others

Another SHC bench has issued notices to the secretary of the aviation division, chief executive officer and chief human resource officer of the Pakistan International Airlines for Nov 25 on a suit filed by the Pakistan Airline Pilots Association (Palpa) against changing the salary structure, flying allowance and other benefits of pilots.

A single bench comprising Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi also restrained the PIA management from taking any adverse/coercive action against the plaintiffs/pilots till the next hearing in violation of Section 3(6) of Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (Conversion) Act, 2016.

The plaintiffs, through their lawyer, submitted that the management of PIA through admin orders had attempted to change their fixed salary structure, reduce flying allowance and days off in violation of Section3 (6) of the act.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2020