As one more child perished in the famine-hit region of Tharparkar raising the death toll to 56 in 44 days, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, defending the Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP’s) governance in Sindh, has put the onus of the deaths on Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).
Per details, two-year old Arbab Rajhar died in Civil Hospital Umerkot on Wednesday as far-flung areas of Tharparkar remain devoid of all relief work with the Sindh government’s relief activities restricted to Mithi.
However, during a media briefing in Mithi, the Sindh CM put the blame of the dearth of relief activities in Tharparkar on MQM while defending the performance of the PPP-led government in the province.
He said that the provincial health department had been with the MQM for the last 20 years, and the PPP had only assumed charge of the department in the past one month after the decision of MQM lawmakers to join the opposition.
“MQM has been part of the Sindh coalition government since 2008. The health department was mainly with the MQM till the resignation of MQM legislators were accepted last week,” said Shah.
“MQM member Dr Saghir Ahmed was the health minister for most of the time since 2008 but he did not visit Tharparkar even once in his tenure,” said Shah.
The CM argued that drought in Tharparkar was a regular occurrence for years now but no minister had come to monitor the situation.