SUKKUR: The membership of two Sindh Assembly lawmakers was suspended by the Sindh High Court’s Sukkur bench on a petition about dog-bite incidents in their constituencies on Thursday.

The court issued written orders about dog-bite incidents in two constituencies — Ratodero and Jamshoro — and not supervising campaign to kill stray dogs and growing cases of dog-bite incidents in these areas.

According to details, the court ordered suspension of memberships of MPAs from Ratodero and Jamshoro.

The court also strictly warned MPAs who failed to supervise campaign of killing stray dogs in their constituencies.

In the written orders, the court called explanation from the secretary of the Sindh Assembly as to why the MPAs were not supervising the dog-killing campaign despite court orders.

The court also sought reports about incidents of dog bite from deputy commissioners of Larkana and Shikarpur districts by March 31.

It is the work of MPAs to look after and protect people, says court

It may be mentioned that the court during previous hearing had warned about the suspension of memberships of five MPAs and also expressed its displeasure over non-supervision of the campaign by the lawmakers.

Additional Advocate General Shafi Mohammad Chandio while submitting report in the court had informed that 110,000 stray dogs had been killed in Sindh. However, the court by showing no confidence in the report, said that only figures may not be furnished, adding that if the dogs had been killed then why the incidents were increasing.

The bodies of dead dogs were being thrown on streets after killing them which was also spreading diseases.

The additional advocate general informed the court that the work of MPAs was to make legislation, not kill dogs.

On this plea Justice Aftab Ahmed Gorar expressed his anger and said that what legislation was made by MPAs during the past 15 years; it was the work of MPAs to look after and protect their people, nor going to Karachi and sitting there after their election.

The dogs were biting children of poor people and that the eyesight of a minor child was lost in an attack of a dog. Who was responsible for that and how the eyesight of the child could be returned, the court asked and issued the orders.

Six people injured by stray dogs in Jacobabad

Six persons, including four children, were injured by stray dogs in different areas of Jacobabad on Thursday.

According to a spokesman of the Jacobabad Institute of Medical Sciences (JIMS) Hospital, Khalid, a girl Umeedan Brohi, 10, resident of Shah Ghazi Mohalla; a boy, Asad Jamali, 10, resident of Nawazoo Jagir; Naseebo Kato, 50, a resident of Mubarakpur; Mohammad Yousuf Khoso, 35, resident of Thull; were injured by dogs.

Two minor children Malook Odh and Imran Dayo were also injured by dogs adjacent to the Special Force Ground located within the airport police remit, Jacobabad, on Thursday.

The injured people were taken to the JIMS Hospital Jacobabad by their relatives.

They were later allowed to go home after they were administered with anti-rabies vaccine.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2021