KARACHI: While dismissing 24 applications seeking the
operation of illegal water hydrants, the Supreme Court on Thursday
observed that the menace would not be tolerated at any cost.
Headed
by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar, a three-judge
bench heard a human rights complaint against the failure of the Karachi
Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) to remove water hydrants operating
illegally in the city.
Justice Faisal Arab and Justice
Sajjad Ali Shah, the other two members of the bench, heard the case at
the Karachi registry of the apex court.
At the outset of
the hearing KWSB Managing Director Hashim Raza Zaidi submitted a report
which claimed that 187 hydrants were demolished with the assistance of
the Rangers and police on the court’s directives.
Court calls for removal of all connections granted illegally to factories
The KWSB report said that the water utility had disconnected 2,130 illegal water connections in different parts of Karachi.
It
added that 137 cases were lodged since January 2017 out of which 44
were registered at the Saeedabad police station, 37 at the Manghopir
police station and 27 at the Pirabad police station.
The
report further added that as many as 265 suspects were arrested on
charges of water theft out which four were convicted and 14 had been
acquitted.
The chief justice asked Mr Zaidi about the
action taken against the board’s employee, Rashid Siddique, who was
involved in allowing the illegal hydrants to operate. The KWSB chief
said that the employee had been demoted.
“It is your
responsibility to remove illegal water hydrants in the city,” the CJP
told Mr Zaidi, directing him to submit a written statement which said
that action would be taken against the officers responsible.
The court also directed the KWSB chief to remove all the connections granted illegally to factories.
It
further directed the chief of the water utility to file a complete list
of factories and industrial units granted illegal water connections.
Death penalty upheld
Meanwhile, another apex court bench headed by Justice Asif
Saeed Khosa upheld the death penalty of a man convicted of killing his
former wife.
The husband, Mohammed Ismail, was handed
down capital punishment by a district and sessions court after he was
found guilty of killing his former wife, Nadia.
Mr Ismail shot his ex-wife a few days after their separation within the limits of the Liaquatabad police station in 2011.
After
his conviction from the trial court, the convict filed an appeal
against the judgment in the Sindh High Court (SHC), which was also
turned down.
Subsequently, he moved the apex court
against the rejection of his appeal by the SHC and prayed to the court
to set aside the judgment of the trial court and to pass his release
order.
After hearing arguments from the prosecution and
the appellant’s counsel, the SC bench upheld the judgment of the trial
court and ruled that he should be hanged after all legal procedures were
fulfilled.
The bench, that also comprised Justices
Mushir Alam and Maqbool Baqar, observed that they found no reason to
reduce the appellant’s sentence from death to life imprisonment.
