KARACHI, May 26: The Sindh High Court on Thursday suspended the operation of the SRO issued by the federal health ministry banning import of disposable syringes till May 30.A single bench headed by Justice Tufail H. Ebrahim was seized with the hearing of a lawsuit filed by the Pakistan Chemist and Druggist Association (PCDA) against the notification banning the import of different medical consumables such as disposable syringes, drip kits, cannulas, etc.

The bench also issued notices to the federal law officer, federal health ministry, Sindh advocate-general, chief secretary, provincial health secretary and other respondents for the next date of hearing.

PCDA counsel Advocate Kazi Khalid submitted in the court that the federal health ministry put restriction on the import of medicines, disposable syringes and other allied articles by issuing three different SROs.

He stated that the country manufactured only 30 per cent of the total demand of disposable syringes, which was not sufficient to cater to the needs of patients. Consequently, he added, 70 per cent imported syringes met the shortage.

The counsel stated that the ban was bound to cause a great deal of hardship to a large number of patients in the country.

Secondly, he stated, the federal health ministry introduced the restrictions after April 20, 2010 when various departments, including health, had already been devolved to provinces from the federal government.

He prayed to the court to set aside the SROs and declare them unlawful.

The bench also issued notice to the federal and provincial law officers to file comments on behalf of the respondents on the next date.

CCPO ordered to appear

A division bench headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed ordered the city police chief to appear in court and explain noncompliance of court orders.

The bench had on May 2 directed the SPs concerned to submit their report regarding validity of cases against a man after making a proper investigation into the matter.

The direction was issued on the petition of Ms Parveen Taj against the arrest of her son, Kamran Awan, in alleged false cases and police torture on him. The petitioner alleged that ASI Rana Muzafar of the North Nazimabad police station and Ilyas Shah of the Sharifabad police station arrested her son in July 2010 in false cases and tortured him in custody.

The petitioner sought quashment of as many as 11 cases against her son and stated that the police had demanded a heavy bribe for her son’s release.

The court ordered: “Issue notice to the CCPO to appear in person on next date and explain as to why the court order dated 2-5-2011 was not complied with and in the meanwhile the compliance of such order be made.”

Case quashed

A division bench headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed ordered cancellation of a kidnapping case against a female MBA student.

The petitioner, represented by Advocate Nasir Ahmed, approached the court seeking cancellation of a kidnapping case against her and registration of a case against the police officials who allegedly tortured and assaulted her in their custody.

The bench directed the petitioner to appear before the DPO of Benazirabad who would register a criminal case against the responsible police officials and take action against them in accordance with law.

The bench ordered the magistrate concerned to record the petitioner’s statement and dispose of the case within three days.

The bench also restrained the police from arresting the petitioner who also impleaded the DPO of Benazirabad, SHO of A-Section police station, police official Shahid Ali Shah and private persons Mohammed Imran, Iqbal and Mohammed Saddiq as respondents.

She stated that respondent Mohammed Saddiq lodged a false case against her and her family members for the kidnapping of his daughters and wife, who moved to Karachi on their own as the respondent was forcing one of his daughters to marry a man of his choice. She stated that the A-Section police raided her house in Benazirabad and took her away on the instance of Saddiq.

The young woman stated that she was mentally and physically tortured and assaulted by the police officials who kept her in their illegal custody for three days. She stated that the police officials released her only after the matter of her arrest was taken up by the media.

The same bench also disposed of the petition of Saddiq’s daughter, Shumaila Naureen, her sister and mother against Saddiq after the three women stated that they had left Saddiq’s house on their own will as he wanted Shumaila to marry a man of his choice.