Residents of several localities in Peshawar have approached the Peshawar High Court’s Green Bench, raising alarm over a sharp increase in rat infestation and rat bite cases in the city.
A joint petition has been filed concerning areas including Warsak Road, Charsadda Road, Bashirabad, Fata Secretariat Colony, and nearby neighborhoods.
The petitioners argued that the situation has escalated into a serious public health concern and an ongoing public nuisance.
According to the petition, poor sanitation, open and clogged drains, damaged sewerage lines, and unchecked garbage dumping have created ideal conditions for the spread of rats. The residents claimed that despite the worsening situation, relevant authorities have failed to take meaningful and timely action.
Senior advocate Saifullah Muhib Kakakhel, representing the petitioners, told the court that the problem was not confined to a single locality. He pointed out that reports had also emerged from Kamboh and Sarbulandpura union councils, where residents described the rats as unusually large and resistant to commonly used medicines and poisons.
The petition also cited local and international media reports highlighting that hospitals, particularly Lady Reading Hospital, routinely receive patients with rat bite injuries. It added that the issue has persisted for years without any effective control measures.
Those named as respondents include the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, the health and local government departments, the deputy commissioner of Peshawar, the Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar (WSSP), major public hospitals, and the Peshawar Cantonment Board.
The petitioners have requested the high court to order immediate fumigation and sanitation campaigns, prompt removal of garbage, cleaning of drains and sewerage lines, and the provision of tetanus shots and emergency treatment for rat bite victims at government hospitals.
They have also urged the court to take urgent notice of the matter to prevent what they warned could become a major public health crisis.