SC gives three weeks to CM Shehbaz to submit report on clean water

• PPP announces to become party to the case
• CJP orders removal barricades from key sites including residences of Nawaz, Shehbaz 
• Justice Nisar orders to provide details of all encounters that took place in past one year in Punjab

LAHORE: The Supreme Court on Sunday gave three weeks time to Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif to submit a comprehensive report about the installation of treatment plants for untreated water being drained into rivers and canals, Punjab Saaf Pani project and the clinical waste of the hospitals.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Mian Saqib Nisar passed the order while hearing suo motu case into the drainage of polluted water into rivers and canals and the clinical waste of the hospitals at the Supreme Court’s Lahore registry. Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik and Justice Ijazul Ahsan were the other members of the bench.

Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif also appeared on Sunday before the three-member bench, headed by CJP Mian Saqib Nisar, hearing the suo moto case.

The chief justice welcomed Shehbaz in court and thanked him for appearance and said, “Mian Sahib I have a feeling you will be the next prime minister of Pakistan.”

“Why are you after my job?” Shehbaz retorted amid laughter in the courtroom.

The chief justice responded that “your own people are after you”. The chief justice also remarked during the hearing that, “I assure you there will be free and fair elections in the country from now on. I keep repeating this”.

After the commission report on sewerage, and condition of treatment plants for polluted water, the top judge observed: “I’m not sure about the budget for wastewater. This is happening for last ten years; untreated water and pollution is destroying our land and crops and damaging human health.”

The CJP asked the Punjab CM that what steps had been taken so far to treat the sewerage water. The situation in public hospital and sewerage system is not satisfactory, he said.

The chief minister first of all said that it was a great honour for him that he was appearing before the court in compliance with its order. “We honour the courts and we ran movement for independence of judiciary,” the chief minister told the bench.

“I appreciate the court orders and obey them, an independent judiciary is imperative for democracy and development of the country,” the CM said.

At this, the CJP remarked on a light note: “Tell this (respect of courts) also to the other party leaders.”

The chief minister said that he was a human being and may commit mistakes like others but he tried his best to serve the public. “During the last three years, we installed the modern system at various hospitals and established liver and kidney centres.”

At this, the CJP remarked, “ Find out the private persons who have been involved in managing the clinical waste,”.  The bench asked the CM about outsourcing of the clinical waste.  “Everything should be transparent,” the CJP remarked, adding “We are not satisfied as we have come across the inadequacies.”

The chief minister informed the court about the various power and water development projects underway in Punjab, which was appreciated by the bench.

However, the CJP asked the CM about the wastewater and that what steps have been taken to treat it. The bench directed the chief minister that it should be done immediately.

On this, the CM requested the bench for a three-week time, saying that “I’ll prepare a comprehensive report on it and the court orders would be complied with.”

Justice Nisar said that the water in his own chamber was found contaminated.

“There are many problems in the health sector and environment and we are not satisfied,” CJP Nisar remarked.  He addressed the CM saying that if he was ready then why they should not go together to visit the public hospitals to examine the health facilities being provided to the citizens.

“Give me three weeks,” Shehbaz Sharif said.  The CJP directed him that he should pay attention to the issue.

The CM said that a total of Rs170 billion were allocated to the health sector, and liver and kidney plants had also been established.

On this, the chief justice praised the chief minister but observed that there were still many things which must be done. The CJP also said that provincial government should do more in the sectors of health and education.

After assuring the court that the provincial government will provide a comprehensive plan regarding safe drinking water within three days, Shehbaz exited the courtroom.

Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah also accompanied Sharif to court.

Earlier, the court-appointed commission comprising Advocate Ayesha Hamid assisted the court about sewerage water being drained into river Ravi, the quantity of the sewerage water in other cities of Punjab and details about treatment plants.

She said that 96 million gallons of sewerage water is being drained out from Lahore, adding that three plants would be established for this purpose including at Mehmood Booti, Shadbagh and Shahdara.

She also submitted reports about incinerators installed in public and private hospitals.

RANA MASHOOD SNUBBED:

The Chief Justice of Pakistan also snubbed Punjab Minister for Education Rana Mashhood Ahmad when he rose to Punjab advocate general to say something to him in the presence of Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

“Don’t you know the decorum of the court?” the CJP took notice of his ‘clever move’ in the courts. He directed the ministers present in the courtroom to maintain the decorum of the court.

PPP TO BECOME PARTY IN CLEAN DRINKING WATER CASE:

On the other hand, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has decided to become a party in the suo moto case regarding the provision of clean drinking water to the masses in the province.

Talking to Pakistan Today, PPP South Punjab Information Secretary Shaukat Basra, who was also present in the Lahore Registry of the Supreme Court during the hearing of the suo moto case, said the people of South Punjab are drinking unclean water.

“Toxic and untreated water from upper and central Punjab is polluting rivers in southern Punjab, and factories are also discharging unclean water there,” he said.

He further said, “We have been raising a hue and cry for last many years but rulers of Lahore did not listen to us. I thank the chief justice who has taken the suo moto notice. We do not trust Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif. We have a hope from the chief justice. ”

He said he would present facts about toxic water in South Punjab to the chief justice by becoming a party to the case.

He said that the chief justice should also take notice of Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah’s statement that the CJP wished his party to form next government. “I was present in the court. The chief justice did not say what Rana Sana is saying,” Basra said.

‘REMOVE SECURITY BARRICADES OUTSIDE SHARIFS’ RESIDENCES, OTHER SITES’:

Mian Saqib Nisar ordered the removal of security barricades from several key sites in the city, including the residences of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The court ordered the authorities to remove barricades outside Nawaz’s Jati Umra residence, Shehbaz’s Model Town residence and office, Governor House, Aiwan-e-Iqbal, the residence and seminary — Jamia Al Qadsia — of Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, residence of late Punjab governor Salman Taseer, Qilla Gujjar Singh Police Station, passport office and other sites.

The chief justice also directed the home department to assure the bench that the barricades will be removed by midnight tonight.

When the additional home secretary explained to the court that the barricades have been erected due to security concerns, the chief justice remarked, “I have threats too, you should alert your forces”.

The chief justice observed further that it will review the issue of barricades outside offices of security agencies and then make a decision on their removal.

Chief Justice Nisar admonished security officers for keeping elected representatives confined at home, observing that the “CM is an awaami aadmi [man of the people], he should say ‘Shehbaz Sharif is not scared of anyone'”.

When the chief justice asked Shehbaz if they are right in saying this, the Punjab chief minister replied in the affirmative.

Chief Justice Nisar then remarked that the point is not to indulge in politics, adding that the judiciary and executive need to work together to safeguard public’s rights.

He also thanked Shehbaz for appearing in court.

CJP TAKES SUO MOTU NOTICE OF PUNJAB POLICE ENCOUNTERS: 

During the hearing, the chief justice also took suo motu notice of Punjab police’s encounters and ordered the chief secretary to provide the court the details of all encounters that took place in the past one year.

Justice Nisar rejected the home secretary’s request for 10 days to compile the report and said that the report should be submitted within seven days.

PREVIOUS HEARING:

During Saturday’s hearing, Mian Saqib Nisar had asked Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Saeed to find out when Shehbaz Sharif would appear before the court, while expressing displeasure over the lack of provision of clean water in the provincial capital.

The CJP-led three-judge bench, comprising Justices Manzoor Ahmad Malik and Ijazul Ahsan, which heard the case, summoned the chief minister as Chief Secretary Zahid Saeed had no satisfactory response when Advocate Ayesha Hamid, the head of the court commission looking into the matter, told the court that 540 million gallons of untreated wastewater or sewage were being discharged in the river daily.

“If we can summon Sindh’s chief minister over pollution, why should we not summon Punjab’s [chief minister]?” the CJP had asked.

“If this is happening in Lahore, what will be the situation in other cities of Punjab,” he had said.

It had asked the provincial chief secretary to find out when Sharif would appear before the court.

Submitting his reply, Zahid Saeed had said: “The chief minister is busy in an event in Badshahi Mosque today due to which he couldn’t appear before the court immediately,” while assuring the court that the chief minister will appear on Sunday.

CJP Nisar said during the hearing that the court would also ask Sharif under what laws the roads outside his Model Town residence and office had been closed to the public.

At the previous hearing, the top court summoned Zahid Saeed and reprimanded him over the lack of clean drinking water available in the province.

According to a report submitted by the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR), water samples collected from the chief justice’s chamber were found to be contaminated.

CJP Nisar threatened to issue a stay order against the Punjab government’s Orange Line Metro Train project, if it didn’t improve healthcare and educational facilities.

The CJP had asked the chief secretary to explain as to how many new medical facilities were established in the past ten years and why the provincial government has not set its priorities?

The people were being made to drink water contaminated with arsenic and other poisonous chemicals, he observed.