Islamabad: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday directed the Punjab government to seal shops and bakeries that violated its orders to abandon the use of plastic bottles and bags in the province.
The court on February 21 had ordered all departmental stores in the province to stop using harmful plastic bags and water bottles.
Justice Shahid Karim, in his seven-page verdict, had directed shop owners, merchandisers and wholesalers to comply with the order and switch to alternative bags within two weeks.
The court had also given seven days to implement the orders to bakeries and stores.
During the Friday proceedings, the single bench of the LHC noted with concern that plastic bags and bottles were still being used by these entities and they were least bothered about the court’s orders.
“I am also issuing notices to the water companies using plastic bottles,” the judge said, adding the world has already shunned the use of plastic bottles and have now adopted glass bottles for the purpose.
The judge further said that in the next phase the court would ban the use of plastic material in the restaurants and bakeries.
“The consumers raise a hue and cry over banning the plastic material but what they do not know is that the court is committed to eliminating these environment-hazardous products,” he said.
The judge said that the masses have to change themselves to improve the things and adjourned the case proceedings for March 6.
In the last hearing the court had issued directives for a complete ban on polythene bags at the departmental stores and ordered the provincial authorities to submit a detailed report in this regard.
After Islamabad announced to go plastic-free from August 14 last year, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar also announced his government would impose a similar ban. However, the Punjab government has not taken any such decision so far.
