T is difficult to say what level of outrageous tragedy is needed to shake this state and its machinery out of its stupor. For months now, the Thar desert in Sindh has been in the headlines. From a severe shortage of potable water in the drought-hit area to the insufficiency of access to basic medical facilities that can cater to the needs of a population that is already burdened by poverty, to the deaths of some 250 children due to malnutrition and disease, Thar has seen much devastation. Yet report after report of the people`s plight has failed to cause much concern in administrative circles. On Thursday, the National Commission for Human Rights and the Pakistan Institute for Labour Education and Research became the latest organisations to point out that the government`s apathy had caused the situation in the desert to reach alarming proportions. Their teams visited a number of villages in the area and held meetings with government officials and NGO representatives, following which, among other examples, they pointed to the fact that despite the deaths, no serious effort had been made to fill the posts of over 300 doctors that have been lying vacant for years in various hospitals. No amount of censure is enough for the government`s callous approach.

Talking to journalists at the Thar Press Club, members of NCHR and Piler stressed on the need to formulate a comprehensive policy to save Thar from further devastation, noting that the area has seen the displacement of people on a large scale. Retired justice Ali Nawaz Chowhan also gave the assurance that the team would submit a detailed report to the prime minister, the National Assembly, the Senate and the Sindh Assembly. Will that be enough to induce the state to show some mercy to communities that are already amongst the most marginalised in the country? For the families of the five children who died over the past two days alone, this would be a case of too little, too late.