News
Friday, October 28, 2011
Sindh govt told to expedite rehabilitation efforts in SindhStaff Report
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) has directed the Sindh government to accelerate its efforts for the rehabilitation of flood victims.
The court also sought the report from all the provinces regarding the implementation of flood commission’s recommendations. Attorney General Moulvi Anwarul Haq was also asked to study the report of the commission and reply of the provinces over the report and inform the court on next hearing that to what extent the report of the commission was implemented.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry resumed hearing of a compliant of former MNA Marvi Memon against non-implementation of Flood Inquiry Commission’s recommendations.
During the hearing, Advocate General Sindh Fateh Muhammad Malik submitted a report on behalf of chief secretary Sindh regarding the rehabilitation process in flood-affected areas. He stated that the provincial government had taken necessary steps for the cleaning the areas from drain water and the people had started to shift in rural areas of Sindh, which had severely affected. He also mentioned that Sindh had faced recent heavy rains after thousands of years.
The chief justice expressed his concern over the slow process of rehabilitation and observed that the why the army was not being engaged to overcome the miseries of affected people.
The AG Sindh replied that army was also taking part in the rehabilitation process. Justice Khilji Arif Hussain that thousands of affected people were still residing on roads but no one taking notice on their miseries.
The court also asked the Advocate General Punjab that why the Punjab government had removed the encroachments near Tuansa Barrage by the Khosa tribe.
AG Punjab Khawaja Haris told the court that although there were encroachments in many areas, however no political character including Khosa family was involved in these encroachments. The court was informed that the Sindh government was set to make amendment in the Sindh Irrigation Act to abolish growing encroachments at the catchment areas of Indus river and canals and under the amendment such encroachments would be considered as a criminal offence. Irrigation Sindh Additional Secretary Aslam Ansari told the court that the provincial government was taking effective measures for removing encroachments from the catchment areas of Indusriver and canals, however some people were showing resistance. The court asked him to provide names of such people who were not cooperating in the process.
Advocate General Balochistan Amanullah Kunrani told the court that there was no river in Balochistan, thus there were no such encroachments. Advocate General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa told the court that the report of Flood Commission had been implemented in the province to the maximum extent. Later the court adjourned further hearing for three weeks.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk