LAHORE: The case on the issue of plastic pollution titled Syed Shahmeer Raza and other v Federation of Pakistan, etc. was heard by a full bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC), comprising of Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Ch Masood Jahangir and Justice Jawad Hassan.
The counsel for the petitioners raised the issue of public importance before the court in which the court remarked that since major health hazards such as cancer are a direct result of consumption of food contained in plastic packaging, it involves the health and wellbeing of the public at large.
Further, counsels for the petitioners stated that polythene bags and single-use plastic has contributed drastically to the environment pollution and poses a threat to the ecosystem and that there exists no adequate policy or legislation on the matter.
The court, satisfied, issued notices to the respondent departments such as the Climate Change Division, Environment Protection Department, Local government and Punjab Food Authority along with three multinational companies who are deemed to be major global contributors to plastic pollution, to appear before the court on the next date with replies and reports.
Besides personal representation by Osama Zafar, representation on behalf of the petitioners was made by Supreme Court Advocate Ch Muhammad Zafar Iqbal and High Court Advocate Muhammad Saad Bin Ghazi.
