LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday sought a report from the Punjab government about steps taken to control the dengue virus in the province and also the statistics of the citizens who fell prey to the viral disease.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Shahid Karim is hearing an appeal filed by Judicial Activism Panel (JAP) questioning the failure of the government to control dengue spread.

Representing the petitioner, Advocate Azhar Siddique contended that Pakistan had seen a significant decline in the number of Covid-19 cases but there were reports of a sharp increase in the number of dengue patients from various parts of the country, particularly from Punjab.

He said provincial health minister Dr Yasmin Rashid also stated that the dengue virus situation in the province was serious but not critical in Lahore.

The lawyer stated that the hospitals in the city had been filled to capacity due to a large number of dengue patients.

He argued that the government had failed to take timely measures to eliminate the dengue virus which was now playing havoc with the lives of citizens.

The bench adjourned the hearing till next week and sought reports from the government.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2021