Balochistan High Court Summons Officials Over Quetta Water Shortage

The Balochistan High Court has summoned officials over the shortage of drinking water in parts of Quetta, UrduPoint reported, putting the provincial capital's water supply before a judge.

According to the UrduPoint report, the court took up the drinking water shortage in Quetta areas and called the officials concerned to appear. The report did not name the officials summoned, did not identify which parts of the city were cited, and did not give a date for the hearing. No text of the court's order was carried.

The summons requires the department or officials named to appear before the court and explain the position on water supply. Water supply is a provincial subject, and departments that are called by a high court are expected to place their record and their plans before it. The UrduPoint report did not say whether the court had asked for a written report, set a deadline, or issued any direction on how the shortage should be addressed.

Courts across Pakistan have repeatedly taken up civic complaints, from water and electricity shortages to price rises, by calling officials in person rather than leaving the matter to departmental action.

In a separate development, Aaj English TV reported a protest in Karachi's Manghopir area against electricity and water shortages, and said traffic in the area was affected. The two reports describe different events and neither outlet linked them.

No statement from the Balochistan government, the provincial water board or Quetta's civic administration was carried in either report, and no official response to the court's summons was available.