RAHIM YAR KHAN: At least 28 camels have died during the last three weeks due to an influenza-like “mysterious” disease at various villages located deep in the Cholistan desert areas falling in the district.

Reports say that 16 of the camels of Pahore clan died at Chak 172-P in the Cholistan area’s remote Dhudi Union Council of Kot Sabza town in Sadiqabad tehsil of Rahim Yar Khan district, some 62kms from here.

According to local camel owners, including Bakhat Ali, Allah Baksh, Falak Sher and Maloo of Pahore clan, their camels suffered a mysterious disease attack during which they initially showed influenza-like symptoms, with a fluid flowing from their nostrils, causing breathing issues among the animals. After a couple of days, they say, the camels became weak, with their legs trembling, and at last they died.

They say that each camel was worth around Rs1 million, adding that it is a huge loss for them as camel herding was their only source of income.

Herders complain of lack of govt help to treat their livestock

Two other herders -- Jam Abdul Sattar and Faqir Baksh Laar -- both of Chah Kallarwali village located deep in the Cholistan desert, say they lost nine of their camels to a disease with similar symptoms. They claimed the prices of their animals were higher, ranging between Rs1.2m and Rs1.4m, because of their health and breed.

Similarly a Cholistan resident, Jam Ilyas Niaz, said that his friend, a camel owner of Fazalwala Khouh, lost three of his camels due to this viral disease.

He says that he himself started medical treatment of his livestock following reports of camels death and purchased a bottle of vaccine worth Rs900 and an injection for Rs1,050. He added that after the treatment his camels were now in better condition.

He further says there were around 15,000 camels in the Cholistan area falling in R Y Khan district.

All these camel owners complained that despite the deaths of their animals, neither any veterinary team, nor Mobile Veterinary Dispensary (MVD) unit, visited their remote abodes to examine their livestock for treatment.

According to district livestock department sources, there are four MVD units to provide livestock treatment facilities in remote Cholistan areas.

They say that the tehsil and district level livestock officers were mostly busy in performing magisterial or other administrative duties for price control and monitoring, assigned by the district administration, ignoring their actual job.

Livestock Deputy Director Dr Tahir Gulzar, when contacted, pledged to answer Dawn queries on the issue, but did not respond later.

However, according to a handout issued by district information office, Deputy Commissioner Zaheer Anwar Jappa took notice of the camel deaths in Cholisitan and sought a report from the livestock department.

The DC instructed the livestock staff to take immediate steps to vaccinate camels in the affected areas, adding that the district administration is monitoring the situation.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2025