KARACHI: Amid protests by flood victims in Sindh for not being provided relief aid, more than 500 tents were recovered during a raid at a rice mill warehouse in the town of Nasirabad along with some ration bags which were supposed to be distributed among the affectees.
District and sessions judge Kamber Shahdadkot Zahid Hussain Mitlo, who was escorted by police and some officials in plain clothes, ordered the SSP to register a case against PPP local councillor, rice mill owners and concerned SHO for their involvement.
“People are bearing the brunt of rains and sitting under the open sky and you have stored the tents here,” said the judge to the owner of the rice mill in a video that went viral on social media.
There were reports that police have registered the case and taken a few people into custody.
According to locals, the tents were brought to the rice mill by newly-elected councillor Wazir Ali Phulpoto. “The tents are stored on the directives of the local MPA who had handed over the tents. The revenue officials including Mukhtiarkar and police are in hand and glove in such things,” said Rajab Solangi, a local activist, who along with dozens of flood victims was protesting in front of DC House for tents.
Soon after the raid, the issue became viral on social media where political parties and civil society activists condemned it, demanding action against relevant officials and the local PPP leaders.
A few days ago, the same judge had also conducted a raid at the Mukhtiarkar office in Shahdakot town and found 200 tents inside it. “After the raid, the judge directed DC to distribute the tents among flood victims without delay, but don’t know how the tents were distributed and who did it,” local journalist Fida Bhatti said.
It may be mentioned here that hundreds of thousands of people have been living on the roadsides and other open spaces after the flood ravaged their villages and crop.
They have been protesting and demanding basic facilities including tents, food, drinking water and basic health facilities.
