LAHORE – The Lahore High Court on Friday summoned Chairman Wapda by issuing him a show-cause notice on a contempt petition of a citizen seeking proceedings against him for including Fuel Adjustment Surcharges in the electricity bill despite the court orders.
Aslam Hayat, the petitioner, submitted that court had restrained the Water and Power Development Authority from adding the fuel adjustment surcharges in the electricity bills of citizens but the authorities had included the surcharges in bills.
After recording argument, Justice Khalid Mahmood Khan issued a show-cause notice to Chairman Shakeel Khalid Durrani and directed him to appear before the court by April 25.
Hearing another petition seeking unsealing a medical store, the same court sought reply from Punjab health department till April 11.
Justice Khan remarked that there was massive corruption from one corner to another of the country owing to which at least 250 citizens (cardiac patients) had lost their precious lives by taking spurious drugs.
The court also remarked that delinquents involved in the drug reaction issue could be tolerated under the importance of human lives. “Due to poverty, the masses have been compelled to purchase such contaminated foods and medicines,” Justice Khan observed and directed the health department to file the reply by April 11.
Meanwhile, LHC sought a report from Punjab Secretary Health and Director General Punjab regarding the system of distribution of Polio Vaccine in the country. Justice Umar ata Bandial directed respondents to submit report till April 16.
Muhammad Suleman, a district government’s vaccinator, contended that some residents of Model Town–Extension had refused to co-operate with polio teams and did not allow administering polio drops to their children during Oral Polio Vaccine drive in January. He submitted that the citizens had used filthy language against the petitioner, who was a vaccinator in City District Government. The counsel said that the petitioner had then called the Union Council Officer but he also met with harsh behavior from the citizens. Later, a refusal statement was recorded in the presence of the police and UCO. He said that the petitioner raised the issue with the high-ups but they had not given heed to the petitioner’s request.
He said that two department officials visited the Model Town but failed to convince people for administration of polio drops.