KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Wednesday asked the secretaries of the finance and agricultural and livestock departments to appear on Aug 27 in a petition about consumer courts and council.

A non-governmental organisation through an official had petitioned the SHC in 2016 against non-implementation of the Sindh Consumer Protection Act, 2014 and on a directive of the high court, the provincial authorities established consumer courts in March this year.

When the matter came up for hearing before the two-judge bench of the SHC headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar, petitioner Imran Shahzad submitted that 29 consumer courts had been established in Sindh at the district level, but the salaries of the judges appointed in such courts in Karachi had not been paid by the provincial government.

In order to seek a clarification, the bench called the member inspection team-II (MIT-II) of the SHC, who informed the judges that the budget allocated by the Sindh government had been sent to the agriculture

and livestock department owing to which certain issues had cropped up which needed to be resolved.

The petitioner further submitted that under the law the consumer council had also to be established, but no efforts had been made for it.

The bench said that this aspect would be taken up on the next date and directed an additional advocate general to call the secretaries of the finance and agriculture and livestock departments as well as a focal person from the accountant general Sindh office to assist the court on Aug 27.

Show-cause notice issued to SSP

Another division bench of the SHC on Wednesday issued a show-cause notice to the senior superintendent of police of Qambar-Shahdadkot and the area SHO over non-appearance of the latter in a petition of a free-will marriage couple seeking protection.

The petitioner, Safia and her husband, Abdul Qadeer Solangi, residents of Naseerabad taluka, Qambar-Shahdadkot, through their lawyer submitted that they contracted court marriage of their free will, but their relatives lodged a case of kidnapping, and pleaded for protection.

SPSC interviewing failed candidates, SHC told

The Sindh High Court on Tuesday expressed surprise over the recruitment process of doctors in public hospitals after it was informed that the candidates failed in written examination were being interviewed for the posts.

The SHC directed the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) to place before it on Sept 18 the rules which according to the commission’s law officer allowed it to entertain such candidates.

In a previous hearing, the SHC asked the SPSC chairman to submit a report regarding the current status of appointments of doctors to be made in public hospitals.

When the petition about the pathetic conditions of government hospitals at the district level in Sindh came up for hearing before the two-judge SHC bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar on Tuesday, a law officer of the SPSC submitted the report.

The law officer informed the bench that various candidates failed the written examination, but their interviews were being taken for their employment.

The bench directed the law officer to place in court such rules or standing orders, which may demonstrate that despite failing the written examination, a candidate may appear before

the interview committee and he or she may be considered for the appointment, which is a totally absurd situation.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2019