ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court on Thursday warned Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader and Evacuee Trust Property Board former chairman Siddiqui Farooq of contempt of court if he did not stop criticising the judiciary.
“We do not criticise but he (Farooq) criticises us. Tell him he will be issued a contempt of court notice straightaway,” Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar told a counsel representing ETPB in Katas Raj Temple Pond case.
The chief justice made these observations when a three-judge bench took up suo moto cases on Katas Raj Temple Pond Chakwal and illegal selling of land by the ETPB former chairman.
The top court also directed the owners of factories, situated near the temple and allegedly involved in utilizing water of Katas Raj pond causing environmental hazards, to appear in person and give a timeframe for making arrangement for water in order to protect the site.
When the hearing resumed, advocate Ikram Chaudhary representing the ETPB told the bench that he has submitted details of land owned by ETPB throughout the country which consisted of 25 volumes.
The bench told the counsel to appoint an honest person as the board chairman. The joint secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs said that a process was underway as the cabinet has asked for comments from the Federal Public Service Commission.
Expressing displeasure over the apparent delay at the end of the government, the chief justice sarcastically told the counsel and the joint secretary to appoint some private secretary of the PM-N on the slot. “A person (Farooq) was appointed and now he is criticising the judiciary. This is not the way,” the chief justice said.
“What is his qualification? Throughout his life, he would sit in the press room of the PML-N. Is this not political connotation? Who is responsible for his appointment (as ETPB chairman),” the chief justice questioned.
Farooq was removed from as ETPB chairman after his controversial appointment surfaced during the course of hearing in the Katas Temple pond suo moto case. The chief justice said that there were four issues which required to be addressed. The issues, he said, include Katas Raj Temple, environmental hazards, depletion from factories and quarrying of stones and regulation of cement factories.
Law officer from Punjab Asma Hamid informed the bench that the salt range covering the land of 8,860 per sq.km, which is divided into three zones, has been declared as a ‘negative area’.
Advocate Makhdum Ali Khan representing Bestway Cement said that a proposal for an alternative source of water is being finalized which also includes a new pipeline to fetch water from the river for the operation of the factory.
But the bench expressed dissatisfaction stating that nothing in this regard has been produced worth considerable.
The chief justice observed that cement factories have sucked all the water. “We will not allow the factories to utilize the water of tube wells. It is a serious issue and not admissible to the court that people face a shortage of water and factories remain operational from the tube well water,” the top judge said.
He observed that the court did not want to close the factories but these factories should also furnish a solution. “We have no sympathies with you (factories) who are playing with the lives of residents,” the chief justice observed. He further said: “We have to give relief to the people, factories can be established somewhere else but the residents cannot leave their motherland.” He lamented that millions of gallons of water had been taken without any cost.
He said that the owner of Bestway Cement is the most blue-eyed person who has established factories and opened the banks but no one has checked him.
The chief justice also warned owners of the factories that arrest warrant will be issued for them in case they failed to appear before the court.
“We are sympathetic with those living there and water is a sacred fable for them (Hindus),” the chief justice observed adding that it was a beautiful place but quarrying has disintegrated the area. The matter will be taken up on April 20 again.
SYED SABEEHUL HUSSNAIN