KARACHI – The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday issued notices to the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) and the dairy farmers association among other respondents seeking their explanation over the recent increase in milk prices.
A constitutional petition was also filed in the SHC against the recent increase in inter-city and local public transportation fares in the province. The SHC division bench comprising Justice Musheer Alam and Justice Syed Azhar Rizvi heard a constitutional petition filed by Rana Faizul Hassan seeking a restriction on retailers for increasing milk prices.
“Milk retailers are not ready to fix the price notified by the CDGK for the commodity and are minting undue profits from the consumers,” the petitioner submitted, appearing before the court.
He stated that a law regarding the protection of consumers’ rights was promulgated in the Punjab province in 2005 and is good enough to provide relief to the consumer on daily basis but so far the Sindh government has failed to do so.
Quoting a recent development, the plaintiff submitted that the milk price was increased by Rs 10 per kg while yogurt is being sold at Rs 90 per kg by the retailers against the will of the government and the CDGK has failed to ensure implementation of the affixed price.
After hearing the petitioner’s comments, the court summoned the respondents to submit their comments in this regard on the next hearing date. During the last hearing, CDGK’s counsel Advocate Manzoor Ahmed had appeared before the court, submitting that negotiations over the dispute regarding milk prices were under way.
He had argued that the CDGK has initiated talks with the dairy farmers to convince them for decreasing milk price, maintaining that the talks between both the parties might reach their conclusion with the matter likely to be resolved within a few days.
In the petition, the applicant has also stated that no relevant law exist for restraining the respondents from increasing the prices of essential commodities such as milk, resulting in the poor consumers being financially looted and exploited by the retailers.
Citing Sindh chief secretary, Karachi administrator, CDGK district coordination officer, Karachi Dairy Farm Owners Association president Haji Akhtar and Nagori Dairy Farmers Association president Sikandar Nagori as respondents, the plaintiff pleaded that the court issues orders to the government for initiating legislation regarding promulgation of consumers’ rights laws and to control prices hikes on essential items.
He also prayed that the court issues an order restricting the milk price hike and take action against the milk traders under 1977 act.
Meanwhile, the same applicant also challenged the recent increase in inter-city and local public transportation fares in the province in a constitutional petition filed in the SHC.
Hassan submitted that the inter-city and local transporters have unlawfully increased the fares after an increase in petroleum products’ prices. He added that the poor people prefer using public transport facilities as they cannot afford private conveyance but the recent decision has brutally affected the people of the province.
Accusing the transporters and their representative bodies of monopoly, he alleged that they increase the fares without prior approval from the transport’s regulatory body but ‘some government officials are providing patronage to the transporters mafia.’
He termed that the transporters have not only violated the ‘Traffic Law 1965’ but also challenged the writ of the government by increasing the fares while bypassing the government’s directives.
Violating Article 8 of the constitution and basic human rights, the transporters were creating more and more difficulties for the people by depriving them of their basic rights for cheap transport facilities.
The Regional Transport Authority – a regularity body constituted by the provincial government for determining public transport fares and resolving problems – remains ineffective as it is not able to implement its own decisions effectively. The motorway police are also ineffective as they have never taken stern action against transporters openly violating the laws, the plaintiff added.
Citing Sindh chief secretary, Transport secretary, Regional Transport Authority, Motorway Police Sindh in charge, Karachi Transport Ittehad president, Sindh Air-conditioned Coaches Association head and the Traffic DIG as respondents, the petitioner pleaded the court that the Sindh Transport Minister and Secretary Transport should be ordered to restrain the inter-city and local transporters from increasing the fares.
Admitting the petition, the court has fixed April 8 for the hearing.
