ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed Minister for National Health Services Aamer Mehmood Kiani to immediately visit Thar in Sindh and provide medical relief to the people facing severe health issues.

The directives were issued by the prime minister during his meeting with newly appointed president of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Sindh chapter Ameer Bhutto and secretary general Haleem Adil Sheikh at his Parliament House chamber here on Tuesday.

The prime minister expressed serious concern over the situation in Thar where reportedly the rate of death among infants is very high due to viral infections and complications arising out of malnutrition and lack of health facilities. Drought-hit Thar is considered to be the most backward part of the country.

The prime minister said the PTI government would fully protect the rights of the people of Sindh. He directed the PTI Sindh office-bearers to organise the party at the union council level in the province and start preparations for the local government elections.

Says uplift of tribal areas top priority of PTI government

On the other hand, speaking at a news conference in Islamabad, Sindh Minister for Communication Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said the provincial government was taking a number of steps to improve living conditions in the province. He claimed that the death rate among children in Thar was not higher than the overall rate in the country.

Mr Shah said that due to a number of steps taken by the Sindh government, the situation in Thar had entirely changed, adding that the government was distributing wheat among the people of Thar free of cost.

Fata delegation

A delegation comprising members of the National Assembly from the tribal areas called on Prime Minister Imran Khan to discuss the progress of the planned merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and various development projects.

KP Governor Shah Farman and Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri were also present during the meeting.

The members of the delegation complained to the prime minister about the non-cooperative attitude of the government officials.

The prime minister, according to an official handout, expressed his anger over the situation and warned the government officials to mend their ways and do not create problems for the people.

The prime minister said the people of the tribal areas had the right over the minerals found in their territory and no one would be allowed to exploit the tribal people. He said that uplift of the tribal areas was top priority of the PTI government which was making efforts to merge Fata with KP as early as possible.

Mr Khan also said the PTI government was willing to introduce the local government system in the tribal areas so that problems of the people could be solved at grass-roots level.

Meanwhile, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi also called on PM Imran Khan at the Prime Minister Office on Tuesday.

“Professional matters pertaining to Pakistan Navy were discussed during the meeting,” said a brief official announcement issued by the PM Office after the meeting.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd , 2018