SHC CJ says reports prove most deaths in Thar took place because of food shortage. PHOTO: AFP
The commission will be headed by district and session judge Tharparkar.
A single-member bench comprising of Chief Justice (CJ) of the SHC Justice Maqbool Baqar heard the Tharparkar drought and deaths of children suo motu case.
CJ Baqar on March 7 had taken notice of the appalling number of child deaths in Tharparkar and called for comments from the National Disaster Management Authority chief, the provincial chief secretary and the secretary of the food, agriculture and livestock department.
He had issued these directions while he heard a letter addressed by the SHC Bar Association, requesting him to take notice of the situation in Tharparkar.
According to the reports presented before the high court today, three officers -- Relief Commissioner Lala Fazlur Rehman, Commissioner Mirpurkhas Ghulam Mustafa and Deputy Commissioner Mirpurkhas Aqeel Zaman -- were responsible for the deaths in Tharparkar.
The case was adjourned till April 8 and all three of these officers have been summoned by the court.
During the hearing today, CJ Baqar said that the reports presented prove that most of the deaths in Tharparkar took place because of the food shortage. He also said that it was sad that the government does not have any strategy for distributing wheat to the affectees.
The reports stated that 22000 affected families in Tharparkar have not received food as yet.
Advocate General of Sindh Abdul Fatah Malik was also present at the hearing. He said that it was the responsibility of the chief minister to give instructions regarding how to tackle the situation in Tharparkar but it was the duty of related departments and secretaries to implement them.
He also admitted that officers were present in Tharparkar but government employees spent most of their time in Karachi and Hyderabad.
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These are the things where court should take action instead of wasting time and money on chasing Meera and her husband. We have to know our priorities and choose what is more imp.