Remember Thar

Will the Supreme Court of Pakistan be able to shame the Sindh government into action against the drought in Thar? Hearing a case regarding the death of children due to malnutrition in Thar, the SC has ordered the formation of a committee, which will file a report in three weeks about steps taken to improve the situation. CJP Saqib Nisar has also asked the PPP leadership to invest in the region. Already, Chairman of the Qaumi Awami Tehreek Ayaz Latif Palijo has accused the government of supplying rotten wheat as ‘aid’ to the drought-stricken region. While the accusations must be investigated, it was the remarks of the advocate general of Sindh that confirmed how prejudice is part of the reasons why the almost decade-long drought has received scant attention from the government. The AG had commented that the ‘Hindu residents [of Thar] do not consume wheat’ and ‘women receive less food’ in their communities. While food relief should not be provided via a single grain, wheat in this case, the ignorance drew the ire of human rights activists and members of Thar’s Hindu communities.

With almost 1.6 million people starving amidst a drought, this seems to be a case of rubbing more salt into their wounds. The real question, however, is whether the SC will be able to force the Sindh government to act in the case of Thar. The provision of food, clean water and medical facilities should not be hard to provide if the political will is there. But this cannot be done as long as they are treated as ‘children of a lesser god.’ One must remember that the Sindh government was also rebuked by the SC earlier this year in March. The situation on the ground has not changed since. The child victims of this tragedy continue to increase. Six infants died of malnutrition on Wednesday and Thursday, bringing the death toll to 496. This is the highest death toll for children in the last five years. The fact that hospitals remain ill-equipped to deal with the issue is criminal negligence on the part of the government. These everyday tragedies in Thar are man-made. Perhaps shame will not be enough, and stricter action will be needed regarding this obvious negligence of duties.