Lahore High Court Chief Justice Mansoor Ali Shah on Tuesday observed that Lahore was becoming one of the most polluted cities in the world due to non-implementation of environmental laws.
The LHC CJ passed these remarks during the hearing of the petitions filed against Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Advocate Azhar Siddique and Sheraz Zaka on behalf of petitioner argued that there was no need to establish the central laboratory in EPA Headquarters, Lahore, because EPA already had six laboratories in different districts of the Punjab. They stated that for the establishment of central laboratory a huge amount of Rs 158 million had been allocated and it would result in duplication of resources. On this, the CJ inquired the government if six laboratories were already functional then was there any need to establish central laboratory?
Petitioner’s counsels further argued that EPA has also started a new project for which Dr Javed Iqbal was appointed as project director. The chief justice observed that it would also be decided whether the appointment of Javed Iqbal was rightly made or not and furthermore it would be decided whether there was a need to appoint a project director when there was already an environmental protection council and whole department was functioning.
Azhar Siddique and Sheraz Zaka drew the attention of the court that Javed Iqbal’s appointment as Environmental Protection Agency director general has already been declared illegal and a NAB reference was also pending against him and then how he could be made project director?
The chief justice observed that it would be decided today (Wednesday) because the enforcement of fundamental rights were at stake and non-implementation of environmental laws was making Lahore one of the most polluted cities in the world.
The court further directed the Environment Protection Department (EPD) secretary that the responsible officer from EPA will produce a document of PC-I which has sanctioned the budget of Rs 157 million for the establishment of central laboratory.
