The Sindh High Court on Monday issued notices to the federal and provincial law officers on a petition seeking action against all those responsible for over 1000 deaths caused by punishing heatwave, loadshedding and water shortage. A division bench, headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, was hearing the petition filed by Advocate Moulvi Iqbal Haider and two others through which they sought action against the federal and provincial governments and K-Electric (KE) for failing to ensure supply of water and electricity that led to the deaths of citizens in the current sizzling weather.
The petitioners named secretaries of Law and Justice, Power and Energy sources, chairman Privatisation Commission and Sindh chief secretary, director-general Health and chairman Karachi Water & Sewerage Board as respondents. In the petition, they submitted that over 1,000 people died of heatstroke caused by current intense heatwave coupled with shortage of water and electricity. They added the respondents had failed to discharge their constitutional duties and left the citizens at the mercy of the nature.
They alleged that an artificial water crisis was created with mala fide intention at the behest of tanker mafia who sold water at exorbitant rates. The petitioner said Sindh government's failure to provide proper health care facilities to the citizens was also one of the reasons for the heatstroke deaths. They said that the federal and provincial governments blamed each other, but no one was ready to take the responsibility for unprecedented loss of lives. The petitioners pleaded the court to declare that provincial and federal governments and K-electric were responsible for the deaths of innocent people in Karachi. The court was further requested to declare that respondents are bound to provide basic facilities, including water and power, to the citizens.
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