The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday gave two-week time to the provincial health secretary and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) administrator to submit reports on measures they have taken to curb preparation, manufacturing and selling of Gutka and Mainpuri in the city.
Headed by Chief Justice Maqbool Baqar, a division bench was hearing a petition filed by an NGO, United Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, calling for implementation of ban against use of substandard substances playing havoc with the lives of people.
Rana Faizul Hassan, representing the NGO, submitted that the provincial government had imposed a ban on the preparation, manufacturing and selling of Gutka and Mainpuri throughout the province but despite the restrictions, markets were flooded with substandard confectionaries.
He told the judges that over 80 per cent of manufacturers of Gutka and Mainpuri were running their businesses under the supervision of area police. Therefore, it was difficult to control the use of substandard confectionaries which were injurious to health, he added.
During hearing on Wednesday, the bench took on record the reports submitted by police officials on efforts made by them to stop manufacturing and sale of Gutka and Mainpuri within their jurisdiction. The bench expressed displeasure over provincial health secretary and KMC administrator for not responding to the court notice. The court gave two-week time to the respondents for filing the comments.
