Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Saturday lashed out at Sindh Health Secretary Fazlullah Pechuho for failing to take responsibility for children's deaths in Tharparkar. A three-member bench of Supreme Court headed by the chief justice and comprising Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah was hearing a suo motu case regarding the death of five children, who died from malnutrition and measles in Thar earlier this month.
He admonished Pechuho, who submitted a report to the court, for ridding himself of all responsibility by saying that children die because they are underweight. "The report makes it look like you don't have any responsibility at all," Justice Nisar said at the SC Karachi registry, suggesting that Pechuho "offer his services to another department". Sindh health secretary then told the court that 50 per cent of the deaths occurred due to pneumonia and diarrhea. He also admitted that doctors did not want to work in the region.
Addressing Senator Raza Rabbani, who appeared before the court today, the chief justice, said that the judiciary did not want to interfere in executive matters but is "compelled" to do so due to the poor state of affairs. "When we do interfere it is said that we are foolish to interfere in the work of executive," the chief justice observed.
Referring to a video clip that showed the poor state of a hospital in Larkana, the ruling PPP's stronghold, the CJP said that he felt "ashamed" and wanted to visit the city to oversee the state of affairs there. He then suggested Senator Rabbani watch that video as well.
The CJP expressed concern over the "numerous health problems in Sindh" and said that hospitals hand over the bodies of children to parents who are left with nothing but grief. Sindh Advocate General Barrister Zameer Hussain Ghumro's claim that the government had built an "excellent hospital" in Mithi and distributed free wheat in Thar was dismissed by Justice Shah who said that the wheat was "lost in corruption".
After a recess, the court rejected the report submitted by Pechuho and ordered the government to form a committee comprising "neutral doctors" working in Aga Khan Hospital or other hospitals of similar stature.