LHC grants last opportunity over PM’s ineligibility case

The Lahore High Court on Friday while refusing to linger on the pending issue related to disqualification of the prime minister granted last opportunity to the federation to submit its stance.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed observed that the case had already been pending for quite some time, so the matter could not be stretched further.
Abdullah Khan Dogar, the petitioner, had stated that the PM was not implementing the Supreme Court’s directives on various issues but he was publicly claiming that he was respecting them.
He had contended that the PM’s stance was side tracking the public opinion which was contravening the Article 62 of the constitution. He had prayed to bench to declare the chief executive as disqualified due to his attitude.
LHC seeks report from DG health, Govt : The Lahore High Court on Friday sought reply from the Punjab government, the Punjab director general health and others by April 16 on a petition against administering of substandard oral polio vaccine (OPV) to children and directed a judicial inquiry against the responsible.
Justice Umar Ata Bandial passed the order on a petition filed by Muhammad Suleman, a vaccinator in city district government impleading that Punjab Government, DG Health Punjab, DCO Lahore, EDO Health, Director EPI and others as respondents.
Earlier, the petitioner’s counsel submitted before the court that some residents of Model Town (Extension) refused to co-operate and did not allow to administer polio drops to their children during OPV drive in January 2012.
He said the people used filthy language against the petitioner who was a vaccinator in city district government and went to spot after being informed.
The counsel said the petitioner called the union council officer (UCO) but he also met with harsh behaviour by the said residents and later, a refusal statement was recorded in presence of police and the UCO.
He submitted that the petitioner faced hardship to deal with the people because of Punjab Institute of Cardiology’s spurious medicines incident and former minister Sheikh Rasheed’s statement in a TV programme that the polio vaccine was fake and damaged.
The counsel submitted that in another TV programme, it was claimed that the government was distributing OPV of stage-2 instead of zero stage despite huge funds.
He said the petitioner raised the issue with the high-ups but they became annoyed with the petitioner. The counsel said the petitioner believed and also in a talk show on February 14 stated that standard of OPV at union council level was not according to international standard.
The petitioner further said that the vaccine must be distributed at union council level of zero stage to get 100 percent results, the counsel said and added that although OPV of stage-2 was acceptable at distribution level but not at union level.
He said that two department officials visited the Model Town but failed to convince people for administration of polio drops and petitioner was barred from visiting that area.
The counsel said that recently petitioner received a suspension letter dated March 14 which was issued by the EDO health.
He alleged that the petitioner was being punished to raise issue in Public.
He pleaded the court to set aside the suspension letter and a judicial inquiry be ordered against concerned responsible authorities by declaring that the OPV was not properly provided to children as per international standards. The counsel also sought directions to submit complete record of fund received for OPV programme. The court after hearing the arguments sought reply from the respondents by April 16.
LHC summons Wapda chairman : The Lahore High Court on Friday summoned Wapda Chairman Shakeel Khan Durani in person for April 25 before the court on collecting fuel adjustment charges from citizens in electricity bills ignoring court orders under which fuel adjustment up to 3,500 units per month was declared exempted.
Justice Muhammad Khalid Mehmood khan passed the orders on contempt of court petition filed against Wapda, Lesco, Pepco and others for not respecting the court orders dated November 21, 2011.
Pleading his case, petitioner’s counsel said it was clear contempt of court that despite exemption of 350 units the respondents including Wapda were taking the fuel charges from small consumers paying no heed to the court orders.
He requested the court to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the Wapda and Lesco chief executive and call them in the court to ask why they were not implementing the court orders. He said the poor people felt great relief when the court exempted them from fuel charges up to 350 units monthly consumption but the Lesco and Wapda paid no heed to LHC’s orders.
In addition to domestic consumers, the industrial consumers had also filed contempt of court petition against the Pepco and Wapda for imposing on them fuel adjustment charges in bills retrospectively for the months of last year.