Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisartaken has taken cognizance of the issues pertaining to public welfare because the incompetent executive has failed to solve the basic problems of the people. In an unprecedented move the bench headed by the Chief Justice heard the constitutional petition at Karachi Registry on Sunday filled against Sindh government failure to provide potable water, better sanitation, and environment and associated issues.
The executive branch of the state is not performing its duty to take notice of basic problems of the people and their elected representative in the legislature and local governments do not take interest to address the problems of common man. Despite the availability of funds dilapidated water supply system is not improved, sanitation systems is not restored and upgraded to cater to increase in population. Law abiding citizen are deliberately left at the mercy of water tankers mafia. The supply of domestic water becomes scarce in almost all catties of the country but the local government departments turns a deaf ear and blind eye to this basic necessity of the people. New tube wells are not installed to overcome the pressure problem and augment water supply.
Adulteration in food commodities is rampant and the executive magistracy is a silent spectator. The Chief Justice of Pakistan has also taken Suo motu notice of bad quality of milk and supplementing milk production of cartels by oxytocin injections . The top court ordered to confiscate the stock of these injections. The court also ordered the seizure of the full stock of the companies producing harmful packaged milk. The companies filed their reply in Sunday’s hearing. The Chief Justice directed to conduct a laboratory test of the packed milk and submit a report within two weeks. The milk producing companies have cartelized the market because their owners are politically well connected and the district administration is always reluctant to take action against them. Hence the consumers are at their mercy to buy low quality milk.
Another basic problem of the people is tremendous increase in the price of life saving medicines over the past nine years. There are also complaints of spurious drugs. A cough syrup ‘Tyno’ caused a number of deaths in Punjab in 2016. The prices of almost all medicines have gone up manifold. The medicines for the treatment of Diabetes, Asthma and Hepatitis have become so costly that patients belonging to middle class can hardly afford their purchase. The federal government is not inclined to persuade the national and multinational pharmaceutical companies to reduce their prices in peoples’ interest. Hopefully, the executive will realize its responsibility of public welfare and will not overburden the judiciary with the matters that fall within the ambit of executive.
