Nonsensical comments

Former Sindh home minister Manzoor Wassan compared the flooded areas of Khairpur to the Italian city of Venice

As millions of Pakistanis suffer from the worst floods in history, several politicians have taken it upon themselves to provide tone-deaf comments on the situation. One of the first egregious comments since the scope of the damage began expanding was Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani, who last week blamed the floods on “sin”. The PPP leader also called on people to stop being so sinful if they want the floods to stop. Meanwhile, several PTI leaders and spokespersons for the party and the provincial governments it leads have been defending ex-PM Imran Khan’s decision to continue holding rallies and protests against the federal government and fundraising only for the party and his own charity projects while half the country is underwater. A few PTI leaders also appeared to be making statements to international media discouraging foreign assistance because the money would have to be routed through the federal government. It was only after stinging criticism from some of his own supporters, close allies, and advisers that the PTI chief called off several rallies and hosted a fundraising telethon, where over Rs5 billion was pledged.

One of the most ludicrous statements, however, came from former Sindh home minister Manzoor Wassan, who compared the flooded areas of Khairpur to the Italian city of Venice. How Venice, the city of islands and canals, which was built up over centuries, and the flooded fields of landlocked Khairpur resemble each other, only Wassan knows. Also, while Wassan — a major landholder in the area — may have been lamenting, as he also referred to his own losses due to the floods, even if the scene did remind him of Venice, we would expect someone who has been elected to assemblies over half a dozen times to have the good sense to keep that thought to themselves, rather than state it and even double down, in front of a TV news camera. Political leaders going to disaster areas can be a logistical nightmare. We would hope that they make it worth the effort by helping affectees, rather than providing punchlines.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 2^nd, 2022.

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