KARACHI: Lt-Gen Rakhman Gul, Governor of Sind, yesterday ordered payment of compensation for persons who died during the rains in City on Saturday [July 4]. The Provincial Governor communicated the decision to the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Kunwar Idris, while going round the rain-affected areas in a surprise visit yesterday afternoon. The Governor decided to undertake the unscheduled tour after seeing pictures of the plight of the rain victims in yesterday’s newspapers. …

In the rain-affected localities visited by the Governor no worthwhile relief work by any agency, including the Karachi Municipal Corporation, was noticed and no health or road emergency squad was found in the “affected areas”. This was a quite a surprise to the Governor who had expected that “normal relief emergency duties would be in progress”.

The Governor’s surprise visit was followed by an “extensive tour” of the rain-affected areas by the Chairman of the KMC, a handout said. While setting out on his surprise visit, the Governor was accompanied by the Deputy Commissioner. The Heads of the KMC and the KDA were not in the Party. In fact, the trip was such a surprise that even the Police escort could not accompany him from the beginning and joined in groups much later.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2020