KARACHI, Dec 12: The Sindh High Court was on Wednesday informed that the Dow University of Health Sciences took up the project of the Civil Hospital Karachi’s jail ward for ailing prisoners as there was a delay in receiving funds from the provincial government.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Mushir Alam disposed of a petition for the extension of the jail ward at the CHK for accommodating additional 10 to 12 jail inmates after the provincial law officer assured the court that the project would start within seven days.

Additional Advocate General Miran Mohammed Shah also placed on record a work order of Oct 17 and stated that the Rs28 million project would be completed within eight months.

The bench ordered: “Since the work order has been issued and purpose of the petition has been served, therefore, it stands disposed of”.

The Member Inspection Team (MIT), a court official, had on March 24 sent a reference to Chief Justice Alam regarding the non-compliance of the order of the then SHC judge, Justice Amir Hani Muslim, who had directed the extension of the jail ward.

Public toilet case The same bench directed the provincial law officer to collect the details of facilities provided to the disabled people in public buildings and amenity parks across the province.

The direction came on an application of the Disabled Welfare Association (DWA) during the hearing of a petition that also requested the court for becoming intervener in a petition of the Rah-i-Raast Trust chief, Agha Syed Ata Ullah Shah, who requested the court to declare public toilets and toilet users` rights as essential fundamental human rights.

The DWA submitted that there was no provision for wheelchair users and handicapped persons in any of the public building, footpaths and other public places.

They said that no ramp was provided in the public buildings and parks for the wheelchair users which caused great inconvenience and affected quality of life as guaranteed under Article 9 of the Constitution.

The petitioner also prayed to the court to direct the provincial government to ensure that public toilets with required water and sanitation conditions were constructed and made functional within three months at all public places throughout the province.

According to a statement later filed by the petitioner, there are 182 graveyards in Karachi. Of them, 163 are for Muslims and 19 for non-Muslims. As many as 70 graveyards fell under the control of the Karachi city government, while 112 others were looked after by different associations, but these graveyards were without public toilets.

The petitioner stated that there were more than 970 chowks/bus stops in the city and the CDGK had so far rented out more than 250 bus stops for opening shops as well as for the display of commercial billboards, but no public toilet system was available at any bus stop or along a thoroughfare.