The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued a contempt-of-court notice to Social Welfare Department secretary Mushtaq Memon on Tuesday for not complying with its orders to provide shelter to orphans and street children and fulfil their basic needs including health and education. The court also rejected Additional Advocate General Adnan Memon’s request for granting more time.
On August 15, the SHC had ordered the department’s secretary to utilise the funds of Rs 119, allocated by the provincial government, to assist orphans and street children. He was told to comply with the court orders within two months and submit reports on the subject to the member inspection team of the high court every week.
On Tuesday, petitioner Iqbal Kazmi, a human rights activist, in his argument said that the department is reluctant to comply with the court orders and no step has been taken so far.
The court’s division bench including Justice Maqbool Baqar and Justice Imam Bux Baloch issued a contempt-of-court notice to the department’s secretary and directed him to submit his comments by January 13.
