ISLAMABAD – Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar said on Thursday that respect the vote, a slogan usually raised by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif after his disqualification, means providing basic rights to the public.
The chief justice gave these remarks while hearing a suo motu notice regarding the shortage of water in the capital city. Authorities of the metropolitan and additional attorney general appeared before the court to attend the hearing.
Nawaz started a campaign, aiming at restoring the respect of the vote, after the apex court disqualified him for concealing assets in the Panamagate case.
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The additional attorney general informed the court that 58.7 million gallons was being supplied in Islamabad against the demand of over 120 million gallons.
To which, the chief justice remarked water was being sold in tankers in the city, adding that a tanker is sold for Rs1,500.
He added that governments have done nothing in the past two years. He inquired what the past governments issued funds for water on the priority basis. He said that ruling person was the responsible for deteriorating water condition. He lamented that Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari did nothing while in power.
The chief justice said that planting trees was also a work on papers, adding that water issue was turning into ‘water bomb’. “We are dumping water of billions of rupees into the sea,” he said.
“Respect the vote means giving basic rights to people,” the chief justice said, besides emphasizing on a need to take practical steps to resolve the issue.
During the hearing, the court appointed renowned lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan as an adviser of the court and asked him to present suggestions on water policy in two to three days.
