KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday directed the federal, provincial and K-Electric authorities to file their respective comments in yet another petition against the unprecedented loss of life caused by the recent heatwave coupled with power cuts.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar also issued notices to the provincial and federal law of ficers and put of f the hearing to July 27.

The petition, fourth in row, was filed by Sher Ali Rizvi of the Pakistan Human Rights Group, a non-governmental organisation, who also sought compensation of Rs2.5 billion from the power utility for its failure to provide uninterrupted supply to people.

The petitioner also asked the court to direct the authorities concerned to set up a judicial commission to probe the matter.

Earlier, a group of concerned citizens and NGOs, including singer Shahzad Roy, Karamat Ali, Nazim Fida Hussain Haji, Pakistan Institute of Labour Education & Research, National Organisation for Working Communities, Urban Resource Centre and Workers Education and Research Organisation moved the SHC against the heatwave deaths.

Rana Faizul Hasan, a civil rights campaigner and secretary general of the United Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, was the first to petition the SHC seeking action against the official and power utility authorities.

Then Advocate Moulvi Iqbal Haider filed a constitutional petition praying to the court to cancel the privatisation of the K-Electric for its failure to provide uninterrupted power to people.

KMC employees` salaries case A division bench headed by Chief Justice Faisal Arab directed the authorities concerned to pay the salaries of over 80,000 employees of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and district municipal corporations before Eid.

The bench also warned that the next grant of the KMC would be ordered to be deposited with the SHC Nazir in case the employees were not paid their salaries.

The bench was hearing an application filed by the KMC employees union, Sajjan Union, against the authorities for the flouting court order regarding payment ofsalaries and pensions to the employees of KMC and DMCs.

The court also directed the KMC administrator and DMCs administrators to file the salary record on Aug 4.

The counsel for the employees, Advocate Nadeem Shaikh, told the judges that thousands of the employees of KMC and DMCs, including fire brigade department, were not paid salaries for the past four month owing to a delay in the release of a special grant.

He asked the court to direct the authorities to make payment of salaries to the KMC and DMCs employees, including pensioners, within the stipulated time.

Notices issued on plea against suspect`s detention A division bench headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar directed the federal and provincial authorities to file their comments in a petition against the detention of Moazzam Ali Khan, a key suspect behind the murder of Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Dr Imran Farooq.

Khan`s wife, Sadia Bano, had challenged the detention of her husband by the Rangers through a constitutional petition.

According to her, personnel of the paramilitary force raided her house in Federal B Area`s Block 8, Azizabad, in the early hours of April 12 and took away her husband and his belongings, including a laptop.

The Rangers on Monday informed an antiterrorism court that Khan was handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency.

The suspect was arrested on April 12 by the Rangers, who had placed him under 90-day preventive detention for interrogation under Section 11EEEE (1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997.

He is believed to have been grilled by a two-member team of the Scotland Yard for allegedly helping two suspected killers of the MQM leader by arranging their visas, tickets and stay in Britain.

The two suspects Khalid Shamim and Mohsin Ali have also been shown arrested and are said to be in FIA custody.

Dr Farooq was on his way home from work when he was murdered on Sept 16, 2010 near his London home. A post-mortem examination found that he died from multiple stab wounds and blunt trauma to the head.