'Do you have no love for your region?': SC judge lashes out at alleged corruption in Sindh

The Supreme Court on Saturday expressed outrage over the alleged rampant corruption in Sindh Coal Authority.

A two-member bench, comprising Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Maqbool Baqar, had taken up a suo motu case regarding corruption in the Sindh Coal Authority at the apex court's Karachi registry.

"Do you have any idea what is being said all over the country about Sindh? I don't know where to begin to tell you what we have to hear about you in Islamabad," Justice Ahmed said while addressing Additional Advocate General Sindh Sarwar Khan.

Justice Ahmed expressed sorrow over children dying of hunger in Thar, with no sign of food, water or education being provided to the citizens.

"Where have Rs10-15 billion disappeared? In whose account has the money gone?" the court questioned the AAG.

The court also expressed anger over the authority's failure to submit a report in the matter and gave it one month to provide details of the money trail.

"You are such cruel people. You want to take every penny for yourself. Do you have no love for your region?" Justice Ahmed remarked while referring to the alleged plundering by the authority in the name of "developmental projects".

"Is it our job to curtail such corruption? Where is the executive in all this? What have we been thrust into?" exclaimed the judge.

"If this money was spent on the people of Sindh, we would have seen a transformed province," said the court, adding that they are aware of where the money has actually gone.

The court said that in other provinces at least 50 per cent of the funds are spent on the people and development in the area but "in Sindh, every penny ends up being engorged".

Expressing further frustration, the court wondered if the matter should be sent to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

"What are you doing in service to your own province? You've torn Thar apart to dig for coal and destroyed the land," said the court.

The court said the Sindh government has closed its eyes to all of the province's problems.

It demanded that details of the number of projects and the funds allotted for them be submitted before the bench. Details of progress in each project were also sought along with photographic evidence.