In a scathing statement issued on Friday, Awami Tehreek (AT) leaders alleged that influential feudal lords affiliated with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have misappropriated funds allocated for the desilting and maintenance of canals and distributaries across Sindh, despite clear forecasts of heavy monsoon rains and potential flooding.
The party's central president Advocate Vasand Thari, General Secretary Advocate Sajid Hussain Mahesar, and senior leaders condemned what they termed "criminal negligence" by the government. They claimed that no preventive measures had been taken to safeguard vulnerable areas from seasonal disasters.
According to the statement, funds earmarked for canal cleaning were allegedly siphoned off by PPP-backed landlords, while embankment repairs were marred by record-breaking corruption. "The funds have been left dangerously weak, increasing the risk of breaches," the leaders warned.
The criticism extended to federal and provincial disaster management authorities. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) were accused of preparing to misappropriate relief funds meant for flood victims. "Despite receiving billions in funding, the NDMA has failed to provide even a single rupee in aid to those affected," the statement read.
AT leaders further alleged that both federal and provincial governments lack a coherent disaster preparedness strategy. "NDMA has become a failed institution," they said, adding that the agency is staffed primarily by part-time workers, despite the critical need for full-time disaster response professionals. They also criticised the recruitment of personnel from unrelated departments, which they claim has rendered the authority dysfunctional.
Calling NDMA a "hub of corruption," the leaders demanded immediate accountability and structural reforms.
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