Supreme Court took up the direct Petition on organ trade filed under Article 184 of the Constitution. The Petitioners have claimed violation of Fundamental Rights in relation to organ trade and illegal kidney transplants in the country. According to the Petitioners intervention by the Supreme Court was necessary as the Federal and provincial governments and the Human Organ Transplant Authority have failed to check illegal organ trade and kidney transplantation and have also failed to take action against those caught in these illegal activities.
The Supreme Court in a short order recorded the fact that it had already taken Sao Motto notice against organ trade wherein notices were issued in March 2011 to Chief Secretaries of all provinces. The copies of the proceedings will be provided to the learned counsel of the petitioners, Muneer A. Malik. The Human Organ Transplant Authority has been directed to submit reports of all violation of the Transplant Law and asked about what actions it has taken against those who have been apprehended in illegal organ trade and transplantation. The Authority has been asked to collect all information about illegal organ trade and submit its reports to the Court. The Court has also directed the provincial government of Punjab where organ trade continues to report who are the main suppliers of transplant medicine Cyclosporine in Pakistan.
The Petition was filed by 12 petitioners from all segments of society including Advocate Asma Jahangir, Maulana Abdul Sattar Edhi, Mr. Ardeshir Cowsjee, Professor Anita Ghulam Ali, Ms. Zohra Yusuf of Human Rights Commission, Journalist Ms. Zubeida Mustafa, Nephrologist Dr. Tufail Muhammad, Religious Scholar Dr. Noor Ahmed Shahtaz, Professor Anwar Naqvi of SIUT, Dr. Aamir Jafarey of Centre of Biomedical Ethics and Culture, Mr. Shabbar Zaidi of the Support Trust and Professor Mirza Naqi Zafar of the Transplantation Society of Pakistan.