ISLAMABAD, Nov 14: The Supreme Court was moved on Monday with a plea to direct constitution of a council under an apex court judge to ensure transparency in relief and rehabilitation task.

Filed by Advocate Hashmat Habib on behalf of the Islamic Centre for Research and Defence of Human Rights (ICRDHR), the petitioner prayed that the council should also comprise nominees of relief providing organizations, the prime minister and the leader of opposition in the National Assembly.

It is the need of the hour to take effective steps to ensure people’s confidence in the rehabilitation and reconstruction work in the earthquake affected areas of AJK and NWFP.

The Federal Interior Ministry, Federal Relief Commission, Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA), National Emergency Relief Department, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Leader of the Opposition Maulana Fazlur Rehman have been made respondents in the petition.

The petitioner contended that the relief and rehabilitation task required the role of apex court so that the nation could meet this challenge in a transparent manner without politicizing the noble cause.

“This court has applied doctrine of state necessity in several cases, including takeover by the army, and decided historical issues to save the nation from further disaster,” the petition said.

The magnitude of the tragedy caused by the October 8 earthquake required that the court should invoke doctrine of state necessity…to ensure transparency in the relief and rehabilitation task.

As highlighted by the media, the distribution of relief goods and the activities of volunteers were not organized and goods were being spoiled at some places while at others relief was still being awaited.

The disaster caused by the earthquake is such that it could be overcome only if the nation is united and work collectively, the petition said, adding the services of the army engaged in relief work was commendable but it alone could not meet the challenge.

The petitioner suggested that the government should act as a coordinator so that relief work could be done by organizations active in this noble cause more affectively.