Lahore: On Thursday, a Lahore High Court bench asked the government of Punjab to submit a copy of their draft bill on the manufacture, sale and use of polythene bags in the province, a news source reported. The court also sought a submission of the analysis the government did on effects of a blanket ban on plastic products.
Chief Secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokhar had told the bench that the bill was almost ready and would be presented to the provincial cabinet for approval. He added that various stakeholders were taken into consideration while formulating the bill, and it was created as a sunset law to prevent the abrupt effects of its implementation from being too damaging.
The bench has heard various complaints against the government for imposing a ban on the use of polythene bags above a thickness of 15 microns. The judges on the bench assured complainants that they would look into the matter. The judges said that they would like to go over the government’s plan regarding the compensation of people in the plastic industry that will be adversely affected by the ban.
The bench adjourned its hearing till October 10, and stopped the government from using coercive methods against manufacturers and distributors till then.
