Point of view: Both federal, Sindh govts at fault in Thar, says Shaikh

Pakistan Relief Federation cheif Haleem Adil Shaikh says party officials only visited Mithi.

KARACHI: Both federal and provincial governments are equally responsible for the situation in Thar, alleged former provincial minister for relief and the current chairperson of the Pakistan Relief Foundation (PRF), Haleem Adil Shaikh.

Addressing a press conference after visiting 45 villages of Tharparkar, Umerkot and Sanghar, he said that the human and livestock losses in seven districts of Sindh, including Tharparkar, Umerkot and Sanghar are due to the negligence of government.



Shaikh said that neither the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) nor the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) have ever played their due roles before and after any disasters. “It is a disaster in Tharparkar and other parts of Sindh but the agencies are missing,” he added.

“Over a 200 children children have died in Tharparkar, the situation in Achhro Thar is even critical,” he stressed. “One can easily see malnourished children in hospitals and in villages,” Shaikh added. Showing some pictures of children from Umerkot he said that these children look like the hunger-stricken children in Somalia and Ethiopia. “Our children and our mothers are dying of hunger but the role of government seems non-serious.”

He criticised the relief operation in drought-hit areas, saying ration and wheat was not being distributed among needy and affected people, suggesting that the process of distribution should be fair and transparent.

He suggested that the provincial government should immediately set up a task force in Tharparkar. Shaikh said the role of army was more effective than political parties. “I’ll issue a white paper in Islamabad. I’ll also disclose how many children have died and in which area.”The former minister said that leaders of different political parties visited Mithi city only. “They need to visit villages and meet families who suffer most because of the mismanagement.”

He said rapid response is needed in Umerkot, Sanghar, Dadu, Jamshoro, Thatta, Sajawal, Sukkur and Ghotki.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20^th, 2014.