The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday turned down the plea of a private airline to pay compensation to the passengers trapped in China within three month and directed it to solve the issue within a week. The court also directed the airline to deposit Rs 20 million in the court as fine. The bench observed that the court itself would decide the matter.
During the hearing, the counsel of Shaheen Airline appeared before the bench and said that a committee had been constituted for payment of compensation of Rs 100,000 to the passengers trapped at the Chinese airport. He pleaded the court for three-month time for this purpose but the plea was denied and the court observed that the compensation amount should not be limited to just Rs 100,000. "Whatever the right of a passenger is should be fulfilled," the CJP observed, adding that "people suffered there due to the airline".
Taking up another matter related to the free use of natural water, the top court restrained Bestway Cement factory from using the pond water. The court also directed the concerned authorities to fix the rate of water per cusec. CJP Nisar observed that provision of clean water to the masses is the responsibility of the government and the newly elected PM Khan has also pointed out the water challenge in his speech.
"How the natural water could be sold?" the CJP questioned, and pointed out that they would look into it that how the companies doing business of mineral water get the pure water. The government invited the investors to spend money and not for taking law into their hands. The court therefore directed the Environment Department to come up with report on environmental pollution on next hearing. Hearing the murder case of Journalist Zeeshan Butt in Sambrial, the Supreme Court gave six weeks to the police to arrest the main accused. The Sialkot DPO told the bench that continuous efforts were being made to take the main accused into custody. He said the accused had fled to UAE and pleaded for six weeks time for his arrest. The court accepted his plea and adjourned the hearing for six weeks. Zeeshan Butt was working as correspondent with daily Nawa-i-Waqt in Sambrial.