SC orders opening of shopping malls across country

[Morpheus]

SC orders opening of shopping malls across country
Hasan Ayub On May 18, 2020 Last updated May 18, 2020

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the opening of shopping malls across the country, ARY News reported.

Headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed, the apex court bench declared the government’s decision to keep the businesses closed on Saturday and Sunday void.

The bench was seized with the hearing of the coronavirus suo moto notice case. Other members of the bench were Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed.

The chief justice questioned “rationale” behind closing the markets on the weekend.

“You don’t want to purchase clothes but others do,” the country’s top adjudicator remarked while pointing to officials appearing before the court in the case. He added there are a lot of families that buy new clothes only on the occasion of Eid.

Read More: Dialogue fails, deadlock continues between Sindh govt, traders

The apex court directed Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shallwani to allow all the markets in the port city to resume operations and restrained the city administration from sealing shops and business centres.

The court further instructed the commissioner to open the markets that had been sealed over the violation of the government-prescribed standard operating procedures (SOPs).

The top judge directed the city administration to ensure implementation of the SOPs instead of sealing the markets.

CJP Gulzar observed small traders may die of hunger if they are not allowed to do business.

https://arynews.tv/en/sc-orders-authorities-to-open-all-shopping-malls/

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Who runs the country, politicians or SC?

 

[Darth Vader]

The problem is the Supreme court is busy with other stuff rather than doing the actual job.

 

[Mentee]

Who runs the country, politicians or SC?

Politicians always took away or tried to take away our civil liberties given by the Supreme Court and military. And this is what also happening under this regime. Now as the executive power totally rests with the chief ministers to decide the fate of their provinces, a cm was found demanding money from traders for opening of businesses - - - - - so people took it to the Supreme court

The problem is the Supreme court is busy with other stuff rather than doing the actual job.

Supreme Court did a tremendous job whicj was supposed to be done by the khassi pti govt.

That piece of crap zardari and his dalla Murad shah managing sindh on his behest tightened the noose around the public after getting no bail out in monetary terms from the federal govt. First They plundered the sindh exchequer then they took loans, then they spent all the trillions worth of provincial grant for maintaining their private militias and royal life style but now theres no money left to be looted.

 

[313ghazi]

These people are beyond a parody.

 

[El Sidd]

Form a JIT into it.

How it entered Pakistan?
How it spread in Pakistan?
How people exploited it in Pakistan?

This is the least Gulzar can do right now as Qazi al Waqt as Hakim al Waqt is high as a kite all the time.

 

[koolio]

SC may as well run the country, they are more experts than the fed and provincial governments, the stupid public and shop owners don't want to follow SOPs, I understand they need to make a living but at the same time everyone should follow SOPs to minimise the threat of covid-19.

 

[Baby Leone]

Good move as I don't understand why Corona only comes after 5 and on weekends and in malls is beyond me.

 

[El Sidd]

Who runs the country, politicians or SC?

bureaucracy like in every other country.

Politicians only provide policy. Policy of Pakistani politicians have remained the same for 70 years. Exploitation and Plunder.

Remember when the PM said he introduced NAB ordinance to save his friends? That's policy for you

 

[ghazi52]

SC finds 'no valid reason' for keeping malls closed, says no need to keep markets closed on weekends

Haseeb Bhatti

May 18, 2020

Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed is hearing a suo motu case regarding measures taken to deal with Covid-19 pandemic. — SC website/File
Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed on Monday issued directions to reopen shopping malls across the country.

During a hearing of a suo motu case regarding measures taken to deal with the coronavirus crisis — being heard by a five-member bench comprising the CJP, Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed — Justice Ahmed questioned the "logic" behind keeping malls closed.

In its written order, issued hours after the hearing was adjourned, the court noted that the Punjab government and Islamabad administration had approached the National Health Services and Research Centre (NHSRC) for permission to reopen malls and will likely obtain one today.

"If such can be done by the biggest province of Pakistan, i.e. Punjab, why the similar cannot be done by Sindh and apparently, we find no valid reason or justification for the same," the order read, directing Sindh government to approach the NHSRC for permission today.

It also observed that markets and shops were also opened in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Gilgit-Balitistan, and the governments had agreed to ensure that standard operating procedures (SOPs) are followed.

"We expect that after such application is made, the NHSRC shall give their decision today and if their decision is that shopping malls are allowed to open, the respective provincial government shall allow the shopping malls to be open and shall not create any hindrance or obstruction in this regard but ensure that SOPs are followed," the court order said.

The order also addressed the opening of markets on Saturday and Sunday, saying that the move was a "violation of Articles 4, 18 and 25 of the Constitution" and was not "justifiable".

"We do not find any justifiable rational or reasonable classification on the basis of which these two days are excluded from doing business, for that, all days of the week are the same. It is for the convenience of the human beings that the days have been given names, otherwise, there is no distinction between other days of the week from Saturday and Sunday."

The order "declared [the decision] to be illegal and accordingly set aside".

Earlier, during the hearing today, the chief justice had remarked: "Coronavirus does not go anywhere on Saturday and Sunday.

"What is the reason behind keeping markets closed on Saturday and Sunday?"

While responding to the queries by the bench, Sindh Advocate General Salman Talibuddin said that the province was implementing all decisions made by the National Coordination Committee (NCC), which is headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The bench said that it will be the governments' responsibility to ensure that SOPs are being followed.

The court also restricted Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shallwani, who had appeared before court today, from sealing shops and markets.

"Instead of sealing shops, make sure that SOPs are followed," the chief justice said and directed the commissioner to reopen the shops that had been sealed. He inquired which "small markets" had been opened in the metropolis. The Sindh advocate general said that all markets, except shopping malls, were open.

"Are Zainab Market and Raja Bazar small markets?" the chief justice asked.

"About 70 per cent people go to malls for fun," Shallwani said. Earlier this month, the government had decided to ease restrictions across the country and had allowed businesses to operate with SOPs in place. Markets — that had been closed as part of measures taken to curb the novel coronavirus — were also reopened.

The SOPs went out the window once the lockdown was eased as hordes of people headed out to markets without taking any precautionary measures.

The Karachi administration had sealed multiple stores, markets and salons for allowing large crowds to gather.

NDMA quizzed on expenses
The top court bench, in its written order, said that it was "not at all satisfied" by the report presented by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), saying that it could "find no reason why so much money is being spent on this coronavirus".

"There are other serious ailments prevailing in the country, from which people are dying daily and those ailments are not being catered and the coronavirus (Covid-19), which apparently is not a pandemic in Pakistan, is swallowing huge money."

The order went on to say: "We are not suggesting by any means that the governments should not attend to coronavirus but we expect that the governments should not put all its resources for this one disease, nor the country should be made all together dysfunctional, because of this disease, for its consequences will be highly detrimental to the people of Pakistan, and the federal government and all provincial governments should address itself on this point."

During the hearing, the bench had grilled NDMA over the money being spent to deal with the coronavirus crisis. The NDMA had submitted a report over the amount spent on medical equipment and quarantine centres for suspected patients.

"What is the reason behind spending hundreds and thousands of rupees on one patient?" the chief justice had asked the NDMA representative.

"Money has been spent on medical equipment, testing kits and quarantine centres," the NDMA representative explained.

The chief justice expressed concerns over the money allocated to cope with the health crisis and said: "Corona did not come so that someone can take away Pakistan's money."

"Billions of rupees are being spent on tin charpoys," he added.

Justice Amin expressed similar reservations. "I don't think money is being spent on corona with due consideration," he said.

The NDMA representative said that Rs25 billion had been allocated to the body and all of it had not yet been spent. The chief justice said that apart from the amount allocated to NDMA, the government had also handed out money to provinces. Money had also been allocated for the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme.

Justice Ahmed inquired about the steps NDMA has taken to deal with the locust attack and said that crops planted for next year would not be able to grow.

"The agricultural sector will not remain as important if industries become operational," the chief justice said.

The hearing was adjourned until tomorrow.

 

[El Sidd]

I think some senior judge has shopping mall bussiness

by that logic the businesses allowed by government before belong to corrupt politicians making up the government

 

[El Sidd]

Shopping malls is a business jisay is decision sa faida hoga. Kisi friend ya family ka hoga shayad ya apna hoga. Government should make JIT on this issue and should check assets of honorable judges

whose stopping you?

its not like the housing schemes and benazir bhutto programs are gonna ever get investigated.

try your best. good luck

 

[Safriz]

This is an administrative decision which the government and National command authority should make. Not the supreme court.

 

[pak-marine]

Form a JIT into it.

How it entered Pakistan?
How it spread in Pakistan?
How people exploited it in Pakistan?

This is the least Gulzar can do right now as Qazi al Waqt as Hakim al Waqt is high as a kite all the time.

spitting zaireen brah u know that

 

[El Sidd]

spitting zaireen brah u know that

did you get your province yet?

 

[pak-marine]

did you get your province yet?

we seek that from hazrat khalifa of momineen