Peshawar: A public interest petition has been filed in the Green Bench of the Peshawar High Court over the rising number of rats and increasing incidents of rat bites in the city, declaring the situation a serious public health concern.

The petition states that residents of Warsak Road, Charsadda Road, Bashirabad, FATA Secretariat Colony, and adjoining areas are facing severe problems due to the growing rat population, while the relevant authorities have failed to take effective measures.

The petition has been filed by Advocate Muhammad Furqan Qazi, Advocate Alishba Khan, local residents Obaidullah and Luqmanuddin, as well as senior journalists Lehaz Ullah (Neo News) and Shah Fahad (Dunya News).

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The petitioners are represented by senior lawyer Saifullah Mohib Kakakhel, Advocate Supreme Court of Pakistan.

 The court was informed that poor sanitation, heaps of garbage, open drains, a damaged sewerage system, and negligence of the concerned departments have contributed to the increase in the rat population, causing distress to the public.

The court was further told that the issue is not confined to a single locality. An increase in rats has also been observed in Union Council Kamboh and Sarbuland Pura, where the situation reportedly worsened after changes in the drainage system. 

Residents claim that despite repeated use of poison and other medicines, the rat population remains uncontrolled.

The petition argues that the situation raises serious questions about the performance of the Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar (WSSP) and calls for immediate steps to provide relief to the public.