MITHI: Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda has said that nobody will be allowed to deprive people of Karachi of their due share in water of Indus River and warned feudal lords involved in theft of water through illegal outlets to stop stealing water of tail-end areas and Karachi.

Mr Vawda, who accompanied Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, other federal ministers and lawmakers of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Grand Democratic Alliance during a visit of Thar coalfield near Islamkot town on Wednesday, said that he would never allow anybody to deprive poor farmers and peasants of water.

He said that only water thieves were criticising him after he announced taking serious steps to stop water theft. He was not afraid of threats or “unnecessary criticism” on his “principled stand”, he said. He said that he would start work soon on making subsoil water of Thar drinkable for humans and lauded efforts of Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) officials for making it possible.

The governor said the federal government would seek help from SECMC in building houses for Tharis under the prime minister’s housing project and announced donating eight ambulances and two mobile clinics to Thar Foundation to provide maximum relief to Tharis, particularly those living in coalfield areas.

Mr Ismail said the federal government was well aware of the problems and issues of Thar and was busy making plans to provide relief to Tharis in their difficult time.

Balochistan Assembly Speaker Abdul Quddus Bizenjo said that Thar coal reserves would go a long way in helping end power crisis and changing the fate of drought-stricken Tharis.

Hussain Daud, chairman of Engro Corporation, said that it was hoped that Thar coal would change Pakistan.

PTI and GDA lawmakers including Abdul Razzak Rahimoon, Barrister Hasnain Mirza, Haleem Adil Shaikh, Syed Imran Ali Shah, Jay Parkash Ukrani also accompanied the governor.

Earlier, the governor and his colleagues landed at Mai Bakhtawar Airport near Islamkot and then drove to Thar coalfield where officials of SECMC including its CEO Shamsuddin Ahmed Shaikh briefed them about the company’s work.

‘Tharis to get health insurance card soon’

Federal Minister for Health Aamir Mehmood Kiyani has said that he will take up the issue of unabated deaths of infants and pregnant women with Prime Minister Imran Khan and recommend to him to upgrade Mithi Civil Hospital and issue health insurance cards to at least 35,000 Tharis so that they can avail of better healthcare facilities.

The federal minister, who arrived here on Wednesday along with Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and visited Mithi Civil Hospital, expressed his deep concern over the children’s deaths and said that though it was responsibility of the provincial government to provide the best healthcare facilities to all Tharis after the passage of 18th Amendment, still he would take up the issue with the prime minister.

He said that PTI government had already waged a war against stunted growth and malnutrition throughout the country and despite all odds and hindrances in their way they would continue their fight against all evils.

Mr Kayani said that all Pakistanis were concerned over deaths of minors in the drought-hit Thar and asked people to join hands with PTI government in its struggle to resolve core issues of all backward areas of the country.

PTI MPA Haleem Adil Shaikh held Sindh rulers responsible for the deaths of over 500 infants in Thar and alleged that Pakistan Peoples Party only focused on pocketing public money which was meant for mitigating peoples’ suffering.

He said that he and his colleagues had raised the issues of Thar and the worst effects of drought on the floor of Sindh Assembly a few days back but the government remained unmoved.

He said that Tharis had to travel many miles in search of drinking water as most waterworks had either developed faults or were shut for non-payment at a time when the desert people were dying of thirst. People had become so dejected that they were committing suicide, he said.

MNA Jay Parkash Ukrani said that Sindh government was least bothered to provide basic health facilities and safe drinking water to people of Thar. PTI leadership and federal government would make serious efforts to provide Tharis some respite from the drought and the misrule of PPP government, he said.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2018