ISLAMABAD - Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Thursday took notice of the reports of the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources that Pakistan touched the Water Stress Line in 1990 and crossed the Water Scarcity Line in 2005 while absolute Scarcity Level of water is warned by 2025.  According to the reports, from available 142 million Acre Feet of water only 42 MAF is in use while the rest is being wasted in various forms. As per experts, scale of its impact is un-gaugeable and situation calls for water emergency in the country and multifarious action as a national policy ranging from proper water management policy.

Taking notice of the issue, the chief justice has clubbed the matter with the petition of holding of referendum of Kalabagh Dam issue and has fixed the matter in court on June 9 at Karachi Registry.

Meanwhile, the chief justice also took notice of terminally ill prisoners confined in all prisons of Pakistan. According to the official statement, the notice has been taken in the backdrop of the chief justice’s visit to Central Prison Karachi on May 12 where certain such prisoners had been confined.

On taking notice of the matter, a few of such prisoners were released, while the Jail Superintendent was directed to put up the cases of other such convicted prisoners before the concerned authority for considering the possibility of premature release in accordance with prison rules.

Furthermore, certain others were advised to seek remedies from the courts where their cases were pending.

Chief Justice of Pakistan has now further called reports with regard to ninety-one terminally ill prisoners with life threatening diseases, confined in prisons throughout Pakistan and has issued notices to Advocate General, Chief Secretaries, Home Secretaries, Health Secretaries, and Inspectors General (Prisons) of all the Provinces for hearing on June 12 at Lahore Registry.