ISLAMABAD: The Sindh Government has virtually provided a protective shield to big water thieves in its report submitted before the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, on a suo moto notice on Comrade Ghulam Rasool Sahto’s application.
Sahto, whose health condition is serious, is observing hunger strike till death here in the federal capital for the last almost two weeks to expose provincial water thieves and ensure provision of water availability to the poor farmers, particularly the tail enders.
“A reply of few lines has been furnished before the Supreme Court while expressing its inability to present details due to the case’s being sub judice as it is pending before the Sindh High Court,” the court officials told The News here. The CJ had taken a notice while seeking a detailed report from Sindh on the Comrade’s hunger strike till death and his appeal to the SC for taking up the issue.
The court officials maintained that Sindh Irrigation Secretary Babar Afandi wrote to the Supreme Court on behalf of Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah. “He has not mentioned even a single water thief and officials’ involvement but defended Sindh’s position in his brief report. At the same time, Sahto’s health is deteriorating with each passing day as he was admitted to Poly Clinic Hospital of the federal capital by PPP MNA Shagufta Jamani, but he again joined his hunger strike camp in front of National Press Club on the next day.
After dropping him in the hospital, Shagufta Jamani, showing a token presence, neither made arrangement for full-fledged medical treatment neither bothered to attend his call after the hospital staff gave him a few routine tablets.
The comrade’s body is swelled due to dehydration, weakness and dryness problems. “I am surviving on simple water because of my protest that I will continue till solution to the irrigation water issue and making 41,000 ghost schools and 100,000 teachers are made to work,” he said.