KARACHI: It was a long, hard and eventful day at the Supreme Court Karachi registry for Advocate General Sindh, Sulman Talibuddin, who while representing the provincial government had to face harsh remarks of three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed.

When he submitted that the provincial government had no funds for rehabilitation of people affected during drive for removal of encroachments along the rainwater drains in the city, the chief justice reminded him that he was making a very irresponsible statement.

When he reiterated that Sindh government had acute shortage of funds, the chief justice asked that the government should go and beg from international lenders like IMF and World Bank as it had been the practice of the government.

When the AG submitted that he was not in a position to make a commitment on behalf of the Sindh government regarding provision of funds, the Chief Justice observed, “What good is the ability of government then. Should we ask the affectees to live in tents in the chief minister and governor house.”

Justice Gulzar while addressing the AG asked him to just go outside premises of the court to see what miserable condition the city of Karachi is in.

“The entire city has become a garbage dump. Look at any road, hardly any road is motorable. Gutters are overflowing everywhere. When there is rain, entire city converts to a stinking pond. Everything in this city is illegal. The government had budget of hundreds of billions of rupees it also takes loans but on the ground nothing has changed,” remarked the top judge.

The CJP observed: “It is not making of people, it is the picture you are given.”

The Chief Justice shamed provincial government by saying: “Shame on the Sindh government.”

At one stage when the AG tried to make some submission said, “I am not saying anything.”

“You should better say nothing,” came the reply from Justice Gulzar.

The CJP observed that irrespective of the political differences, the governments were meant to address the grievance of people and serve them, “And if you cannot do that let others come and do that.”

When the bench issued show cause notices for contempt of court to two senior police officers of district Jacobabad for leaving the court premises on last hearing and one of them making false statement regarding his illness and AG sought pardon for them, Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed reminded the AG that he would be the prosecutor of the contempt proceedings were initiated against the police officer.

The bench, however, later withdrew show cause notices for the contempt of court.