Thatta DC, SSP fail to submit replies to SHC

Court orders officers to submit comments by January 29

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) expressed on Wednesday its displeasure over failure of the Thatta deputy commissioner (DC) and SSP to submit their reports regarding the incident of boat capsizing on December 7, which resulted in the deaths of 21 passengers and injuries to 47 others.

A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Munib Akhtar, directed the officers to submit their replies by January 29.

A non-governmental organisation, Justice Helpline, had taken the provincial chief secretary, secretaries of the home, local government, maritime affairs and fisheries departments, and marine director to court over their alleged negligence that resulted in the incident.

The petitioner's lawyer, Nadeem Shaikh, argued that 68 passengers had boarded the boat from the coastal village of Buharo to attend the annual urs of Meenhan Pathai at a shrine located on an island off the coast. The lawyer added that the boat capsized due to high tide and overcrowding. While 47 people were saved by a rescue team, 21 drowned in the incident, he said.



It was argued that according to the Boat Rules, 1953, no licensed boat can carry a greater number of passengers than the number allowed by its license or under the Rules.

Therefore, the court was pleaded to direct the respondents to submit the standard operating procedure regarding operation of boats to the court so that responsibility of the tragic incident could be fixed.

On the last hearing, the judges directed the Thatta DC and SSP to submit their comments on the incident, but both of them failed to do so when the matter was taken up on Wednesday.

Expressing their displeasure over the conduct of the two officers, the judges directed them to submit their comments by January 29.

Previously, the provincial marine director had informed the court that the ill-fated boat had been confiscated and its owner arrested.