The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday directed Assistant Commissioner (AC) Islamabad Muhammad Ali to remove multiple CNG cylinders from public transport vehicles and submit a report before the court.
The single member bench of Chief Justice (CJ) Muhammad Anwar Khan Kasi issued these directives while hearing a plea seeking removal of multiple CNG cylinders from public transport vehicles.
During the course of hearing, the AC apprised the bench that the government had been implementing court orders due to which public transport had been on strike for several days. The general public has been facing severe problems due to their strike, he added.
To this, CJ remarked, “We cannot allow the public transporters to install multiple cylinders on this pretext.”
Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Qazi Rafi-ud-Din told the court that the respondent government institutions had submitted comments, upon which the IHC CJ said that the respondents should submit detailed compliance reports. The DAG then told the court that the respondent government functionaries had taken action upon the court directives, due to which the transporters had gone on strike. The IHC CJ directed the city government officials to go out of air-conditioned rooms and work in the field.
Earlier, the petitioner Waqas Malik argued before the bench that cylinder explosions were rapidly increasing in the country and the authorities concerned had failed to take action. He apprised the court that two or three gas cylinders on average had been fitted under the seats of many vehicles. However, in big vehicles like commercial buses, seven to eight cylinders were being used. Waqas further adopted that the multiple cylinders were posing severe threats to the public safety. The IHC on May 30 had directed the Secretary Islamabad Transport Authority (ITA), Chief Commissioner and Secretary Interior to inspect all vehicles carrying multiple cylinders and remove the extra ones, especially from those transporting students.
