The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday gave two-week time to the provincial health secretary and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) administrator to submit reports on measures they have taken to curb preparation, manufacturing and selling of Gutka and Mainpuri in the city.
Headed by Chief Justice Maqbool Baqar, a division bench was hearing a petition filed by an NGO, United Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, calling for implementation of ban against use of substandard substances playing havoc with the lives of the people. Rana Faizul Hassan, representing the NGO, submitted that the Sindh provincial government had imposed a ban on the preparation, manufacturing and selling of Gutka and Mainpuri throughout the province but despite the restrictions, markets were flooded with these items.
He told the court that over 80 percent of manufacturers of Gutka and Mainpuri were running their business under the supervision of area police. Therefore, it was difficult to control the use of substandard confectionaries which are injurious to health, he added. During the hearing, the bench took on record the reports submitted by police officials on efforts made by them to stop manufacturing and sale of Gutka and Mainpuri within their jurisdiction.