The Supreme Court was requested to direct for imposing ban on export of vegetable and fruits for three months, so that the people could get fruits and vegetable at affordable prices. Advocate Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta filed a petition in the Supreme Court under Article 184(3) of the Constitution making federation through secretary Establishment Division as respondent.
He prayed before the apex court to direct the federal and the provincial governments to formulate export policy by which hike in prices of food and vegetable be stopped. The petitioner submitted that due to rapid spread of coronavirus across the globe, everyone was terrified about his/her survival and several countries had imposed mandatory lockdown recommending around 1.7 billion people to stay at home.
He stated that as there was no vaccine available for the treatment of coronavirus and only remedy to defend it was to improve the immune system, which was only possible through different fruits and vegetables, especially kino, which had high quantity of vitamin-C. However, in the markets a reasonable kino is being sold at Rs 230/- per dozen, which is beyond the reach of an average poor family.
The only reason behind this hike in fruits and vegetable prices is the worst policy adopted by the government regarding export of vegetable and fruit to other countries at the cost of hunger of its own people, the petitioner submitted.
He contended that at this critical juncture, there was an urgent need to provide and arrange cheaper and healthy food including vegetable and fruits to the people for which immediate ban upon export of vegetable and food items was necessary, so that the people could take it, to protect themselves from coronavirus.
"Similarly, provision of basic food items at affordable prices should be ensured to the people as it is the basic fundamental rights of the people guaranteed under the Constitution," Bhutta said.