KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday directed the Karachi commissioner to sit together with officials of the Sindh Food Authority (SFA) and representatives of milk associations and chalk out a plan to ensure the quality of fresh milk as well as its sale at official price.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro also asked the commissioner to submit a proper statement containing guidelines approved on Oct 21.

On the previous hearing, an assistant commissioner had assured the court that milk would be sold at notified rates in the city.

However, when the bench took up a set of petitions about milk price and its quality, the official was found absent without any intimation.

27 FIRs of BTK violence case are being quashed, prosecutor tells SHC

The bench said that reports submitted by the authorities concerned suggested contrary and conceded the fact that notified price of milk was not being maintained.

The director-legal of the SFA submitted that they were regularly conducting raids on milk shops across the province to ensure quality of the product and imposing fines where milk was found adulterated.

However, the bench observed that despite such steps good results about quality of milk had not been achieved and thus, material and out-of-box steps be taken in collaboration with representatives of milk association to ensure quality and price.

It asked the commissioner to file a detailed statement after holding the meeting on the next hearing to achieve the objectives in question so that the same would be made part of the court order for strict compliance thereof under the supervision of court.

27 of 33 BTK violence FIRs being cancelled

An additional prosecutor general (APG) on Tuesday informed another SHC bench that 27 of the 33 FIRs lodged in connection with the June 6 violence during a protest demonstration against Bahria Town Karachi (BTK) were being cancelled.

The APG and investigating officers submitted that 27 cases were being recommended for disposal in C-class (cancelation).

The bench headed by Justice K.K. Agha directed the IOs to file such reports before the magistrates concerned/antiterrorism court-I within two days and also asked the courts concerned to pass an order on such report in five days.

It also summoned the SSP-Investigation Malir for Sept 28 along with a report containing details of each FIR in which recommendations for C-class had been made as well as the decisions of the courts on such reports.

The bench also directed the APG for English translation of the remaining FIRs in which interim charge sheets had already been filed before the next hearing.

It said it would hear arguments as to whether these FIRs arising out of the same incident can be charge-sheeted and what legal consequences would be depending upon the legality of filing multiple cases of one incident.

The petitioners, leaders of several nationalist groups, approached the SHC seeking quashment of the FIRs stating that multiple FIRs over a single incident could not be registered.

German vet to check health of four elephants

The SHC on Tuesday allowed a request to appoint a German veterinarian to verify the health condition of four elephants being kept at Karachi Zoo and Safari Park.

The lawyer for the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) submitted that they were ready to pay the fee of head veterinarian of the IZW Frank Goritz.

However, the bench headed by Justice Irfan Saadat Khan said that fee of the expert should be shared by petitioners and KMC equally.

A non-governmental organisation for animals had petitioned the SHC seeking the shifting of the elephants to an appropriate habitat.

The KMC contended that elephants had no health issues and need no medical assistance.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2021