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LHC calls for detailed report on pollution control work

RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court issued a notice to the Punjab Chief Secretary for February 8 and directed him to submit his report in a petition filed against pollution in the province which contains details of measures taken for minimising or controlling pollution in the province.

The court also observed that the report should also contain the reasons of failure of the concerned department to control or minimize pollution in the province.

The court also directed that Advocate General, Punjab, to appear before the court and assist the court in a petition in which some important points of public interest have been raised.

The petitioner M D Tahir, advocate, contended that most of the diseases in the province were due to pollution. He said that Pakistan Agency for Environmental Protection (PAEP) spent huge sums of money on advertisements and other such moves but all in vain as it neither could develop awareness among the people about the fatal effects of pollution nor could minimize the pollution.

He said that the respondent department totally failed to perform its duty and hence it should either give a specific time to show its performance or should be closed.

He, therefore, prayed to the court to direct the respondent officials to take necessary measures to control or minimize the pollution in the province.

The court after hearing the petitioner at length called for report and directed the law officer to appear before it on the next date of hearing.