Observer Report
The Sindh High Court (SHC) took up on Tuesday a petition seeking directives for the authorities concerned to control rising prices of essential food items in the province.
A two-judge bench comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Amjad Ali Sahito expressed annoyance over the Sindh government’s failure to file its response to the petition.
The court observed that cases are suffering delays due to government departments’ failure to file their replies.
“This is the unfortunate situation of the government departments,” Justice Mazhar observed and asked a provincial law officer to explain when the government will file its response. The court gave the government more time to file its response to the petition.
Earlier, the court had come down hard on the federal government for failing to furnish its response to a petition against skyrocketing prices of essential food items.
A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, observed that the government was issued notices repeatedly but no reply had been filed yet.
It is to note that the SHC last month issued notices to the Sindh government, Karachi commissioner and other respondents on a petition challenging a recent hike in fresh milk prices.
A division bench of the SHC directed all respondents to furnish their detailed reply to the petition by next hearing.
The petitioner stated before the court that per litre of milk is being sold for as high as Rs140 against an official rate of Rs94 in the city.
He said authorities have failed to enforce official rates and requested the bench to direct them to take measures to bring down prices of milk.
Earlier, Sindh’s bureau of supply and prices had written a letter to all the divisional commissioners across the province, instructing them to take actions against abrupt hike in fresh milk prices.
