Seeking an explanation: CJ inquires about suspension of wheat supply to Thar

Nearly 55,000 sacks of wheat earmarked for affected families allegedly lying in warehouses

KARACHI: Sindh High Court (SHC) Chief Justice Faisal Arab has directed provincial authorities to file reports on the suspension of the official food supply to famine-affected families in Thar.

The relevant authorities have been directed to file their reports by May 4, explaining the wastage of wheat and suspension of its further supply to the affected areas of the desert district.

The chief justice issued these directives while converting an official note based on media reports into a petition. The SHC registrar office had forwarded a note based on the clippings of news reports published by a Sindhi newspaper last week.

The reports said that nearly 55,000 sacks of the wheat provided by the provincial government for the affected families were lying in official warehouses.

Relief inspection

Some constitutional petitions have already been filed with the SHC by different non-governmental organisations, seeking the court's directives for the provincial government to mitigate the situation. Over 300 deaths had reportedly taken place in Tharparkar due to hunger and a lack of basic health facilities.

During the course of proceedings, the high court had appointed the district and sessions judges in Mithi and Tharparkar to inspect and ensure equitable distribution of the relief being provided by the provincial government.

The petitioners had pleaded the court order action against those officials whose negligence had led to the deaths in the drought-hit areas.

One petition, filed by the SHC Bar Association, had alleged that the authorities' failure to take pre-emptive steps had resulted in the deaths of over 100 malnourished children in the region, where livestock had also died.

In subsequent proceedings, the SHC had also ordered the health and food secretaries and the provincial disaster management authority to provide health facilities and free wheat as well as initiating other steps to mitigate the situation.

The high court had also constituted a judicial commission to suggest measures to control the situation and recommend action against those responsible for such a large number of deaths, including those of children.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 2^nd, 2015.