SHC orders forensic audit of flood relief funds

The Sindh High Court has ordered a forensic audit of the tens of billions of rupees which the Sindh government has so far spent on the rescue and relief of the rain and flood affected people in the province.

The two-member bench comprising Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro and Justice Adnanul Karim Memon issued the order on the basis of the reports of various civil judges and judicial magistrates who pointed out yawning gaps in the relief exercise.

The Auditor General of Pakistan has been directed to conduct the audit.

The SHC during hearing of the same case on October 6 had ordered the district and sessions judges of Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah, Sukkur and Larkana divisions to depute judges to inspect the relief works. "The reports ... are in direct conflict to what has been stated by additional advocate general Sindh [who represented the government in the court]," reads the order.

The bench noted that a cursory perusal of the reports showed that the flood affected people have not been given proper relief. "The authorities concerned, except for extending their lip services, have practically done nothing to help the needy people in this hour of sorrow."

The bench underlined that on the contrary the Sindh Additional Advocate General Allah Bachayo Soomro painted a rosy picture of the gigantic relief exercise before the court. The National Disaster Management Authority also submitted a report in the court about their activities in the flood and rain hit areas of the province.

However, the court noted that during the hearing no representatives of NDMA were present in the court. "The apathy of the authority is apparent that except for holding the press conferences and praising their work, which they have never done to help the flood affected people, they have done nothing."

The court also noticed that enthusiasm which was verbally demonstrated by the irrigation officers to drain the rain and flood water from submerged towns, villages and farm lands has also disappeared as tangible results on the ground were evident.

The bench also ordered the Sindh chief secretary to explain why the funds spent under the head of the relief operations have not been properly utilised. The SHC summoned the NDMA's chairman on the next date of hearing scheduled for October 27. The order has been given in a petition filed by advocate Mumtaz Lashari who complained that the affected people are not being provided relief and that the steps for their rehabilitation are also non-existent.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 22^nd, 2022.