17/03/2026
Our parents live in Karachi
But we do jobs in tharparkar, why ?
Dr. Veena Punhani
There has been a lot of discussion about why people from other districts come to perform their duties in Tharparkar instead of local Thari people. I would like to clarify that some of us hold a Tharparkar domicile only because our ancestors once lived there, but they are no longer alive. Our families now live in Karachi or Hyderabad. Despite this, we do not get transfers from Tharparkar to Karachi or Hyderabad, where our families actually reside.
Just because our domicile is from Tharparkar does not mean we have any home or living place there. I, being a female, have been traveling alone for the last two years and have been doing outback duties all by myself to fulfill my responsibilities according to the law. We also have the right to be transferred to the place where our families live, but instead we are forced to perform duties alone in these remote areas.
It may be easier for male officers, but for females it is extremely difficult. We have to live alone in guest houses at our own expense, and we are not even provided with any official accommodation, such as a quarter or hostel.
One more important point is that doctors from other districts who come here with different domiciles do so by their own choice, mainly because of the hardship allowance given in Thar. They are not forced to come here; they choose to do so because of the additional allowance.
I have seen many doctors with domiciles from other districts in Sindh who get transferred to Karachi or Hyderabad very easily, but we do not. Why is that? Even according to the law, if you have served the maximum required period in your domicile area, you have the right to be transferred. However, nobody talks about this.
What about our security? Is it so easy to stay alone in Thar? When you perform duties in such hospitals where there is strong political influence and the law-and-order situation is also not good, any unforeseen incident can happen. If something unfortunate occurs, who will be held responsible? It is very easy for people to sit and talk, but the reality is very different.
Is it our fault that we have a Tharparkar domicile? If we do not have a home there, our parents do not live there, and we have no family there, then with whom are we supposed to stay and on whose support are we expected to perform our duties?”
Instead of providing proper security and accommodation, the hospital management and higher authorities say that we can stay at our uncle’s or some relative’s house there. But how long can anyone stay in someone else’s home—one month, two months, three months, a year, or two years? Are we supposed to live there our entire lives? Eventually, many doctors end up resigning and leaving, even after obtaining these jobs through their hard work.
