PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Thursday directed the provincial government to produce a detailed report about the growing rat population in the provincial capital.

A bench consisting of Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Roohul Amin Khan fixed April 5 for the next hearing into a petition of Dr Hussain Ahmad Haroon, who requested the court to order the relevant authorities to clean the city of rats the size of cats, which attack and injure citizens.

When the bench began hearing into the petition, additional advocate general Qaisar Ali Shah requested the bench to allow him time to file comments on behalf of different respondents, including the provincial government, on the matter.

The bench directed him to produce a written report about the growing rat population in the city and the steps taken by the relevant authorities to address the issue.

Citizen requests court to order authorities to clear city of ‘cat-sized’ rodents

The respondents in the petition are provincial health secretary, Peshawar deputy commissioner and the Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar.

Saifullah Kakakhel, lawyer for the petitioner, said recently, a minor child in the city died after being bitten by a rat, while several other local residents had received injuries after being attacked by rats.

He said rats had been freely roaming around in different parts of provincial capital including hospitals.

The lawyer said the cat-sized rats had become a threat to human life but the authorities concerned had turned a blind eye to the issue.

He produced the copies of news items appeared in different newspapers and said the media had regularly been reporting the matter but the authorities acted indifferently.

The lawyer said the killing of a minor boy near the Warsak Road was negligence on part of the authorities for which an FIR might be registered against the relevant officials.

VIPS’ VISIT TO HOSPITALS CHALLENGED: A petition was filed with the high court on Thursday against the visit of VIPs, including political leaders, big businessmen and others, to the public sector hospitals during emergency situation, especially after terrorist attacks.

The petition is filed by provincial president of Pakistan Medical Association Dr Hussain Haroon, who said the political leaders had regularly been delivering speeches during visit to the hospital during emergencies.

He claimed that due to visits of the VIPs in the wake of bomb blasts, the roads leading to the hospitals were blocked for security reasons and thus, adversely affecting the treatment of the injured.

The petitioner pointed out that the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had issued a notification on Dec 26, 2015, stating no unnecessary protocol should be observed in such circumstances to the inconvenience of general public but even then, practices like blocking of roads continued.

He said the visit of VIPs to hospitals also affect the performance of health professionals, who had to leave patients unattended and took care of VIPs.

The petitioner said recently, the chief minister visited the Lady Reading Hospital along with PTI chief Imran Khan due to which all facilities to the injured were blocked.

He requested the court to direct politicians, bureaucrats and government ministers, including the chief minister, to refrain from visiting hospitals in emergencies.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2016