SHC grants time to govt for legislation against Gutka till Dec 10

KARACHI: A bench of the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday granted time to the provincial authorities for legislation to impose ban on making and selling Gutka and other harmful substances till December 10, ARY News reported.

A division bench headed by Justice Salahuddin Panhwar also ordered to continue action against those making and selling gutka and other harmful substances.

Secretary Health and other Sindh government officials were present in the court during hearing of the case.

The health department informed the Sindh high court (SHC) that the summary for the required legislation has been moved and sought some time for the legislation.

The bench ordered all the parties in the case to submit their reports in the next hearing of the case.

In an earlier hearing the court had ordered registration of cases against those selling gutka under Section 337-A (intentionally causing hurt) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

During the hearing of a petition against the making and sale of mainpuri and gutka, petitioner Advocate Muzammil Mumtaz had said that the police registering cases for the sale of harmful substances under Section 336 of the PPC, which is a bailable offence.

He said this practice was the reason why those who manufacture and sell gutka got out of jail quickly and resumed their activities with impunity.

Advocate Muzammil Mumtaz and others had filed petition in court and sought action against manufacturing and sale of the harmful substances alleging that the police were doing nothing against them.

Gutka is a preparation of chewing tobacco made of crushed areca nut, tobacco, catechu, paraffin wax, slaked lime and sweet or savory flavourings.