Questions about dengue deaths infuriate PPP LG representatives

PPP town chairmen clash with journalists at Hyderabad Press Club

HYDERABAD:

A press conference by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) town and union council chairmen at the Hyderabad Press Club turned nasty when local government officials lashed out at journalists over questions related to dengue cases and fatalities.

The incident occurred during a joint briefing by Town Chairmen Manthar Jatoi, Adnan Rasheed Rajput, and Mustafa Bilal, along with several Union Councils' chairmen, who claimed that the dengue situation in Hyderabad was "under control."

Journalists, however, challenged their data, presenting evidence that at least 15 deaths had occurred and thousands were under treatment in hospitals.

The PPP officials insisted their figures were based on information from District Health Officer Dr Pir Ghulam Hussain, asserting that "no dengue patient has died in hospitals." When reporters asked whether the DHO's data included Civil Hospital, LUMHS, or private labs, the chairmen admitted they were unaware.

Frustration grew as the officials avoided direct answers. According to witnesses, Adnan Rasheed, recently expelled from PTI before joining PPP, began shouting at journalists, accusing them of being "party workers." Soon after, Asif Qaimkhani, UC-10 chairman, stood up, used abusive language, and moved aggressively toward the reporters.

Senior PPP leaders Manthar Jatoi and Shani Arain tried to calm him, but chaos broke out. Journalists removed their microphones and announced a boycott of the press conference. Press Club Secretary Hameed-ur-Rehman intervened, condemning the behavior and reminding the PPP representatives that "journalists have every right to question public officials."

Realizing the tension, Shani Arain apologized and requested reporters to ignore the incident. Veteran PPP worker Manthar Jatoi then asked his colleagues to escort Qaimkhani out of the hall.

Later, some PPP members privately told reporters that Qaimkhani often claimed to be the nephew of a party senator and credited her for securing him a ticket.

Local journalist bodies have condemned the incident and demanded disciplinary action against those involved.

"This was a press conference, not a political rally," said one senior journalist. "If officials can't answer questions about a public health crisis, they shouldn't attack the media."