–Says KP worse than Sindh in terms of hospital waste disposal
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Tuesday said that population control is the highest priority for the country after the construction of dams to address the burgeoning water crisis.
While presiding over a hearing pertaining to population control, he said: “After dams, population control is our biggest priority.”
The chief justice observed a correlation between population growth and water scarcity in Pakistan, adding that the situation will worsen if measures were not taken to curb population growth.
Justice Nisar also revealed that a population control and family planning seminar will take place soon to address the information gaps in the general public.
As the proceedings continued, the additional attorney general informed the court that nine recommendations have been prepared regarding the issue.
One of the recommendations was the formation of a provincial and federal task force by December 31, while another addressed the issue pertaining to the absence of family planning initiatives.
In response, the top judge stated that Bangladesh and Iran are among countries that have controlled their population despite being Islamic countries.
Former Punjab governor Latif Khosa proposed that education on population control must be given from a religious point of view.
The top court issued orders that the government should get the recommendations approved by the Council of Common Interests (CCI) and call a meeting within 10 days.
The CJP also added that all provincial chief ministers shall be issued a notice at the next hearing.
KP WORSE THAN SINDH IN HOSPITAL WASTE DISPOSAL:
CJP Nisar on Tuesday said that in terms of disposal of the hospital waste, the condition of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is worse than Sindh.
He said this while hearing a case related to disposing of hospital waste in the province. KP Health Minister Hasham Inamullah Khan and additional attorney general also appeared before the court.
During the hearing, the chief justice inquired about the amount of waste produced and the number of incinerators present for disposing of the waste.
The top judge also asked the method through which hospitals gather and then dispose of waste.
The Health Commission DG told the apex court that government hospitals gather 173kg while private hospitals gather 63kg of waste. He further said that 27 private hospitals have incinerators installed.
“What have you done so far? This is your second tenure,” CJP Nisar asked KP health minister.
Provincial Health Minister Inamullah Khan responded that he was sincerely doing his job. To which the CJP said that he values the sentiment, however, there is 3000kg of waste not being incinerated.
While wrapping up the hearing, the court directed the provincial minister to present a report within 10 days as the matter is directly related to the health of the public.