ISLAMABAD: Taking suo motu notice of the death of over 100 infants in drought-hit Thar, the National Com­mission for Human Rights (NCHR) has directed the Sindh chief secretary to submit a report by Feb 3.

The commission expressed concern over the rising death toll of children across Thar due to outbreak of water-borne diseases, malnutrition, famine and inadequate health facilities.

The four-member NCHR bench comprising Chairman retired Chief Justice Ali Nawaz Chouhan, Member of Commission (ICT) Chaudhry Muhammad Shafique, Mem­ber of Commission (KP) Dr Yahya and Member of Com­mission (Minorities) Ishaq Masih Naz also decided to send a fact-finding team to Thar and give the issue a top priority.

The NCHR has also sought a report from the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) secretary within seven days about regularisation of teachers employed on daily wage basis.

The NCHR bench issued the order while hearing the case of daily wage teachers.

Representatives of teachers’ action committee, Capital Administration and Develop­ment Division and Federal Directorate of Education attended the hearing.

The commission was informed that the government had released the amount to pay salaries of teachers. The commission was further told that the regularisation case of teachers was in the Cabinet Division Committee, headed by the FPSC secretary.

After hearing statements, the NCHR bench directed the FPSC secretary to submit a report within seven days.

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2016