The Sindh High Court has suspended MPA Faryal Talpur's membership from Sindh Assembly, in a case pertaining to dog-bite incidents. Another MPA from Jamshoro district, Malik Asad Sikandar, has also been suspended according to the order of the SHC Sukkur bench, comprising Justice Aftab Ahmed Gorar and Justice Fahim Ahmed Siddiqui, issued on Thursday. The hearing was held on March 16.
"... the membership of MPAs elected from Ratodero [Larkana district] and Jamshoro is hereby cancelled," reads the order. "The remaining members of the provincial assembly are once again directed to supervise the drive against the ongoing dog-bite cases, and ensure that in future no dog-bite case happens."
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The bench warned that the recurrence of those cases will entail punishment for the MPAs in the form of their suspension from the assembly. The court also served an explanation notice to the Sindh Assembly secretary for non-compliance of the court's order. "... no report in this regard has been received from the secretary provincial assembly meaning the secretary has no respect and regard with the orders of the court."
The secretary has been directed to hand over copies of the current court order to all the MPAs. The SHC also directed the Provincial Election Commission (PEC) to notify the suspension of Talpur, who is the sister of Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairperson and former president, Asif Ali Zardari, and Sikandar. In its previous order last month, the SHC had directed the MPAs to supervise the dog culling campaign, warning that their membership from the assembly would be suspended if the cases recur.
"... dog bite cases are not being properly controlled which is alarming." Referring to cases in Ratodero and Jamshoro, the bench said the MPAs of these constituencies cannot be absolved from their obligation towards their electorate.
The court was dissatisfied with the reports filed by the senior superintendents of police of all Sindh's districts and the municipal officials of all the municipal authorities.
At the last hearing the SHC directed the Sindh local government secretary to put under suspension a municipal official found negligent in the dog culling campaign and not to give them any posting without the court's permission. But the secretary could not submit any compliance report during the hearing.
Dog culling
He told the court that thousands of dogs have been killed in Sindh including 3,920 in Hyderabad alone. "Nevertheless, the secretary has directed to furnish a comprehensive report regarding the purchase of poisonous capsules with details of manufacturers and suppliers as well as the numbers of the capsules provided to each district with bifurcation up to union council level."
The bench also noted that the culled dogs in some parts of Sindh were being thrown in open spaces surrounding residential areas and directed the municipal officials to ensure proper disposal. The health secretary in his report claimed that the anti-rabies vaccine had been supplied to all the government hospitals in the province.
However, the bench remained dissatisfied pointing out recent media reports in which children were bitten on their faces by stray dogs in Ratodero and Jamshoro. "... no report in this regard has been filed by the secretary." The secretary was asked to again file comprehensive reports about the number of vials supplied to each government hospital in the province as well as the number of patients who turn up at the hospitals with the dog bites.
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The district and sessions judges of all districts except Karachi division also submitted their reports. They were directed to continue monitoring dog-bite cases. The hearing was adjourned to March 31 with summons for the secretaries of health and local government.
Meanwhile, talking to the media in Hyderabad on Thursday, Sindh Information Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said the provincial government will file a review petition against suspension of the two MPAs. He argued that officials of only the relevant departments can be held responsible for the dog bite cases. "The people due to whose negligence this is happening they should face action and we are working on it."
Published in The Express Tribune, March 19th, 2021.
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