A three-member Supreme Court bench on Tuesday directed the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (PEPA) to complete the examination of a deadly chemical being used by Dedex Eternet Public Limited Karachi and submit report within 30 days before the court.
The bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Parvez was hearing a petition filed by Dedex Eternet Public Limited challenging the tribunal constituted by PEPA to investigate the usage of a chemical namely asbestos which was causing cancer to the community.
According to details, one Fareed Ahmad who was working as a manager in the same company died of cancer. His brother Syed Haroon filed an application to the PEPA that his brother died of cancer due to the industrial waste of the factory which was causing cancer to the entire community living close to the factory. He submitted that asbestos, an injurious chemical, was causing cancer and the factory was dumping its waste in a 15 kilometre area under the sand. He further submitted that factory was allowed to work without any environmental clearance test. He further submitted that in 60 countries, this chemical had been banned and according to World Health Organisation (WHO), one million people died every year due to the usage of this injurious chemical. Responding to his application, PEPA had constituted a tribunal to investigate the harmful effects of the said factory. Factory owners challenged the tribunal before the Sindh High Court but their case was dismissed and tribunal was allowed to complete its investigation against which they filed a petition in the SC. Muhammad Akram Sheikh, counsel for Syed Haroon submitted before the court on Tuesday that industrial waste was causing injurious effects to the people and the SC had already taken suo motu actions in this regard. After hearing the counsel, the court directed PEPA to complete its investigation and submit report to the SC within a month.