The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday ordered the authorities concerned to remove substandard and extra compressed natural gas (CNG) cylinders from the public service transport.
The court passed this order, while hearing a petition which highlighted recent Gujrat van tragedy, where 16 school children and their teacher died after their van caught fire. The petitioner challenged the multiples cylinders fixed in vehicles.
Chief Justice Anwar Khan Kasi while admitting the application of Waqas Malik, had directed Secretary Islamabad Transport Authority ITA, chief commissioner and secretary Interior to check all the vehicles carrying multiples cylinders and remove the extra cylinders especially from school and colleges vans.
The court sought complete report from the said officials in next week.
The petitioner, Waqas Malik, in his application contended that government is responsible for the killing of school children in Gujrat, as it didn’t check the vehicles carrying multiple CNG cylinders.
The petitioner made commissioner Islamabad, Islamabad Traffic Police inspector general, secretary interior, secretary Islamabad Transport Authority, secretary, Petroleum and Natural Resources secretary, Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) chairman, and Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP)’s Director general as respondents.
He contended that cylinders explode incidents were rapidly increasing in the country, concerned officials were paying no heeds toward this serious issue, which so far have claimed many precious lives.
The petitioner maintained that the vehicle owners in connivance with the officials concerned had installed multiple gas cylinders which is a dangerous practice, which could play havoc with the innocent lives.
He told the court that two or three gas cylinders on average had been fitted under the seats of these vehicles, however in big vehicles like commercial buses seven to eight cylinders were being used.
Referring to the incidents which took place in 2011, the petitioner drew the court attention towards the number of incidents of explostion of Gas Cylinders in pubic service vehicles. He informed the court that on July 2011, 15 people were burnt alive when a CNG cylinder in a van exploded in the Koral area outskirt of city. Similarly 28 people were burnt alive when a gas cylinder in a passenger van exploded in Faisalabad in February 2012. Whereas, four people died due to explosion of CNG cylinder in Muzaffargarh. After hearing arguments and passing said order the court adjourned the hearing till the next week.
