SUKKUR: Thousands threw caution to the wind as they took to the streets in Thull town despite fears of coronavirus spread on Friday to register protest over ‘massive corruption’ in drinking water scheme for the town, which had reportedly delayed its completion.

The protest was part of an ongoing movement by Jaddojehad Action Committee and the local chapter of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, which had been agitating against rampant corruption in the town’s development schemes.

Workers of different political, social and religious organisations took part in the protest. They started their rally from Shah Abdul Latif Library and marched on different roads before converging on the press club where they held a sit-in.

The protesters’ leaders Sughra Lashari, Roveed Khoso, Arz Banglani, Qari Inayatullah Mahar and others said on the occasion that thousands of youth had taken the field against rampant corruption in the town’s development schemes.

They had braved many threats and overcome several hurdles to be part of the protest against undue delay in completion of drinking water scheme and massive corruption.

They said that the scheme was approved in 2013 by then MPA late Mir Hassan Khoso. Afterwards, PPP MPA Dr Sohrab Sarki had its cost revised in order to “favour” the corrupt contractor of the scheme in connivance with officials concerned and usurped all the funds, they alleged.

They further alleged that the MPA was getting “commission” in advance from all contractors and awarding the schemes’ contracts to the highest bidder. As a result, the material used in the schemes was often found to be substandard and they were delayed extraordinarily.

They said that the movement for drinking water would continue in phases. If the issue was not resolved after this protest, then in the second phase thousands of youths from Thull would reach Karachi and protest in front of Sindh Assembly but if that too failed to jolt MPA Sarki’s conscience then as a last resort they would hold a historic protest in Islamabad in the third phase.

They said that in addition, they would send applications to National Accountability Bureau, Anti-Corruption Establishment, Federal Investigation Agency, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and Amnesty International and launch signature campaign to draw government’s attention to their plight.

They said that 10 youths, who had started the struggle for resolving the chronic issue of drinking water, had taken a solemn oath that they would not bargain nor compromise over their right.

They demanded that president, prime minister, chief justice of Pakistan and Sindh chief minister immediately take notice of the protest and have the corrupt contractor, officials and the sitting MPA arrested for massive corruption in the scheme’s funds.

The scheme be completed without further delay, otherwise they would continue their protest till it reached its logical conclusion, they warned.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2020