HYDERABAD: Activists of the PML-Functional observed a token hunger strike outside the local press club on Sunday in protest against an outbreak of dengue virus in Hyderabad.

Accusing the PPP government of meting out stepmotherly treatment to Hyderabad, they called for declaring a health emergency in the city.

Leading the hunger strike, PML-F Hyderabad general secretary Rafiq Magsi said that every second household in the city was facing dengue cases in the city. He termed it government’s incompetence and alleged that the health authorities became silent spectators in the situation.

He said the deputy commissioner of Hyderabad was busy in photo sessions and no meaningful steps were taken so far.

The situation prevailing in the city was reflective of incompetence of the District Health Officer (DHO) Hyderabad, he stated and alleged that material of spray was being sold in the city, leaving people to die at the hand of dengue.

In this critical situation, he said, hospitals did not have medicines.

He said the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) was sleeping and union committee chairmen were doing nothing. He said the entire city had become a heap of garbage but HMC officers were busy in corruption.

Those who observed the hunger strike were Majid Shah, Faheem Ahmed Shaikh, Wajahat, Asad Gaho, Ghulam Fareed Chachar, Anwar Gaho, Asad Abbasi, Danish Shah and others.

Meanwhile, PPP’s former Hyderabad district information secretary Ehsan Abro on Sunday demanded action against the health department and district administration for their criminal negligence in controlling the dengue outbreak and unending deaths by the virus.

In a statement issued here, he said the health department and district administration were otherwise supposed to take measures to control dengue, but they failed miserably.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2025