IHC reserves decision on plea seeking details of steps taken to combat coronavirus.

ISLAMABAD -- The Islamabad High Court on Friday reserved decision on a plea seeking details from the federal government on the steps taken to evacuate Pakistanis citizens from coronavirus infected Wuhan and preventative measures to tackle the spread of the disease in the country.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the plea and questioned how the petitioner's fundamental rights were being violated by the situation.

Invoking Article 199 of the Constitution, the petition asserts that the high court has jurisdiction in situations of public interest. Justice Minallah remarked that the information sought by the petitioner could be obtained by availing the Right to Information Act 2013.

'The government has been providing updates on the situation in daily press conferences. A high alert has also been issued,' he observed. The petitioner's lawyer, Jahangir Khan Jadoon, argued that the government's statistics were inaccurate.

The bench, however, noted that the court could not admit the request for an inquiry. Jadoon asked the high court to summon details from relevant officials. Justice Minallah reserved the verdict on the counsel's request.

Mian Muhammad Faisal moved the petition citing the secretaries of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Health as respondents.

He submitted...