Karachi: Sindh High Court on Friday issued notices to secretaries ministries of Interior and Petroleum and Natural Resources, Chairman Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority(Ogra), Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP), Chief Inspector of Explosives, Department of Explosives, Ministry of Industries, All Pakistan CNG Association and home secretaries of the four provinces in a petition seeking court directives to the respondents to take action against installation/production of substandard and low quality CNG cylinders/kits in public transports vehicles and ensure implementation of existing safety and security laws/regulations regarding production/installation of CNG cylinders / kits in public transport vehicles.
The petition, which has been filed under Article 199 of the Constitution of Pakistan 1973 by a local journalist, Israr Ahmed, thorough his counsel Farrukh Usman Advocate, came up for hearing on Friday before a division bench comprising Sindh High Court (SHC) Chief Justice Mushir Aalam and Mr. Justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh.
After hearing preliminary arguments of the petitioner’s counsel the bench issued notices to the respondents and adjourned further hearing for indefinite period. The petitioner has prayed to the court to direct the respondents to check the production and installation of sub standard cylinders and ensure implementation of relevant safety laws and regulations, besides payment of compensation to the heirs of victims, who have been killed in cylinders blasts in public transports vehicles recently across the country.
The petitioner’s counsel submitted that recently there had been alarming increase in CNG cylinders’ blats in public transport vehicles in different parts of country that had claimed score of lives. He further argued that as has been reported in the media the blasts occurred/occurring due to the use of substandard CNG cylinders, kits, fittings, the respondents took no steps to check the use/installation and production of sub-standard CNG cylinders and kits to ensure security and safety of lives of the citizen, which was their legal and constitutional obligation.
He prayed the court to direct the respondents to remove all the non- company fitted, sub standard, low quality CNG cylinders, kits and fittings from the public transport vehicles, besides directing the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources, Interior and OGRA to put in place a proper mechanism to check import, production and installation of sub standard and low quality CNG, cylinders, kits and fittings to ensure prescribed safety measures, standard and quality, so that fatal incidents could be averted.
He prayed the court to direct respondents to ensure implementation of existing safety and security laws & regulations regarding installation/production of CNG cylinders, kits and fittings and its refilling.
The court was also pealed to direct the respondents to clamp down on illegal & unauthorized CNG conversion centers that have mushroomed across the country and indulge in installation of low quality sub standard CNG cylinders, kits and fittings in public/ private vehicles and putting the lives of general public at risk.
He pleaded the court to direct the respondent to compensate the legal heirs of the deceased persons who had wrongfully died in accidents occurred due to the CNG cylinder explosions on account of criminal negligence, carelessness and breach of duty of the respondent No.1 to 4.
The counsel prayed the court to issue directive for constitution of a Committee comprising CNG sector’s experts to review the existing laws and regulations and propose amendments to these laws and regulations in wake of the emerging scenario.
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