ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected the report submitted by Secretary Health Sindh regarding deaths of children due to malnutrition in Tharparkar.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar heard the suo motu notice over deaths of more than 100 children due to deceases and malnutrition in Thar.
During the course of hearing, the court asked about the measures taken by the PPP government to mitigate the situation. It also summoned the top provincial officials court for a briefing on possible solutions on the next date of hearing.
The CJP asked as to why the issue of malnutrition in the Thar district had not been resolved as yet.
To this, the Sindh Additional Advocate General said a report had been submitted. Upon which, the Chief Justice expressed his anger,stating, they had sought a solution not a report.
The CJP asked who was responsible to draft a policy to combat famine and provide food to the people.
The Health Secretary said that most of the deaths had taken place in the Civil Hospital Mithi and the primary cause was food shortage, besides lack of gap among births.
Attorney General for Pakistan Anwar Mansoor Khan, who was present in the court for assistance, stated that the “birth of only 20 per cent of newborns in the region is being registered by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).”
He requested the court for a forensic audit of the finances being spent on the health sector in Sindh.
MNA Ramesh Kumar, who was called to inform the court about the situation in Tharparkar, said that corruption was rampant in the district while land was being encroached for coal mining.
He said that Assembly members also had their names included in the lists of deserving people to get food aid.
Kumar said that drug peddlers were roaming freely in Tharparkar while the coal power project had was not functional despite its inauguration.
The CJP directed the Chief Secretary to draft a relevant policy, and provide food and water in Tharparkar on an emergency basis.
He asked the Sindh Chief Minister and Health Secretary as to why the people were dying in the Thar district and summoned Advocate General, Health, Finance and Education Secretaries on October 11.