Sheltering the displaced: In suo motu hearing, Peshawar High Court orders reforms for Jalozai

Asks disaster management chief to establish 20 polio vaccination centres at the camp.

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court has taken suo motu notice of the unavailability of basic facilities for Internally Displaced Persons in Jalozai Camp, which houses over 170,000 people.

Taking notice on Wednesday, the court summoned the Provincial Disaster Management Authority’s director-general and also asked him to present records apprising the court about facilities provided at the camp.

PDMA DG Shahzad Bangash reached the court and informed a two-member division bench, headed by PHC Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan, that after March 17, a huge number of Khyber Agency residents moved to safer places. “Approximately 90% of the displaced persons wanted to live either in rented houses or with their relatives.”

He claimed that the authority is providing maximum facilities to displaced persons, including health, potable water and community centres, which are women friendly. “Four polio vaccination centres have also been established so that all children residing at the camp can be administered drops.”

“In our view, the facilities are not sufficient and need to be enhanced. Electricity is not provided to the entire camp, they are living a miserable life,” the chief justice remarked, saying the number of polio vaccination centres should be increased to 20.

He directed Bangash to contact Peshawar Electric Supply Company’s chief executive to provide electricity to the entire camp. He also ordered the DG to ensure that Pesco’s bills are paid in cash.

The chief justice also ordered the Fata health services DG to transfer doctors and paramedical staff to Jalozai camp on a temporary basis. “Doctors and paramedical staff in Fata are sitting idle as most Khyber Agency residents have migrated to safer places,” he reasoned, adding that more and more doctors, gynaecologists and paramedical staff need to be deputed at the camp.

He said that trainers be hired to teach displaced persons how to keep the camp clean so that disease outbreak can be battled. A mobile hospital should also be set-up, he said. “Donor agencies, under the United Nations charter, are bound to extend relief,” the CJ said, asking upon Bangash to immediately seek help of donor agencies in the matter.

The chief justice also ordered that if a death occurs in the camp, it should be brought to the court’s notice with a complete report on the cause of death. He ordered the Peshawar city police chief to provide adequate security to the camp.