Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Saturday expressed serious concerns over supply of arsenic concentration water to the SC Lahore registry. Pakistan Council for Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) submitted reports on water supply to the Supreme Court Lahore registry and Lahore High Court which showed that unclean water was being supplied to the Supreme Court Lahore registry.
While hearing suo motu proceedings on supply of unclean and contaminated water to the city, Chief Justice came down hard on the Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Saeed who was present there that "it is my chamber which is getting unclean water and what will be the fate of a common man".
Chief Justice sought report that where the sewerage water was being discharged and whether plants had been established so that the underground water could be safe. "It is not just water, it is poison which is being supplied to the homes" the top judge observed and said, "I'll not let it happen".
"Panic spreads among the people about unclean water," CJ observed and said "they will have to set SOPs". "Why don't you install plants and stop destroying peoples' lives," he questioned the Chief Secretary. The Chief Secretary said, "According to my information, the water is fine from the source, the connection is also fine, there is problem with the tap from where the samples were taken by the Pakistan Council for Research in Water Resources".
"We are killing people in addition with no health facilities for them," he said, posing a question to the Chief Secretary that "How many cancer hospitals have been established during the last 10 years". The chief secretary said that kidney and liver plants had recently been established. At this, the Chief justice said that everybody know how these were established and what their standard is.
Showing inclination to summon Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif over unclean water in the city the Chief Justice observed that it was surprising why the government could not decide its preferences so far. "If Sindh CM can appear before the Supreme Court then why not the Punjab Chief Minister," Justice Nisar remarked.
He directed the top officer to submit reports on water. Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) also submitted its reports but pleaded for some time for more reports on the water supply. The CJP said that Punjab Chief Minister holds sessions claiming welfare projects of the people and billions of rupees are spent on projects but why the government could not take action for supply of clean water to the citizens.
"International standard must be maintained in providing unclean water to the citizens," the CJP remarked. During the proceedings, Justice Ijaz Nisar also said that he had been receiving complaints about closure of various roads in Lahore. "A colony of retired judges is facing the problem of roads' closure, some influential person lives there," he remarked. He asked the officials that who was that to block the roads. "I also fall in the VIP category and a vender sells corns outside my home but I don't block the roads," he remarked. Meanwhile, he took notice of the sale of diesel in the city on various food points. "Diesel is death but it is used at various food points," he surprised. The bench therefore directed the Punjab Chief Secretary and other health authorities to ensure stoppage of diesel use in cooking points and sought reports about Ajino moto, Tetra pack and Diesel.
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