Divine intervention: ‘Sindh flood situation beyond human control’

Government says fair distribution of aid is a challenge.

ISLAMABAD:

The government is doing everything it can to help flood victims and the flood situation in Sindh is ‘beyond human control’, the parliamentary leader of the PPP in Senate said on Monday.

The Senate on Monday identified ‘fair distribution’ of aid amongst people affected by recent floods as a challenge for the government, saying questions of transparency have already marred its image.

“We do not know how much money was collected after last year’s flood and how much is left with the government,” said JUI-F Senator Dr Ismail Buledi during the debate on flood situation with particular reference to Sindh.

“I am sure concerns of flood victims can be addressed if President Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif pay up the Zakat due on them,” Buledi said.

The house had dropped the other agenda items and preferred to conclude the debate.

Buledi censured the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) for knowing nothing about the status of the authority’s funds.

Nawabzada Haji Mir Lashkari Raisani pointed out that there were reports that aid was not being given to political rivals in flood-hit areas. He urged the authorities to help all affected people, saying: “This is no time to play politics or point scoring”.

Col (retd) Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi lamented the lack of planning to avert such crisis and asked: “where are those billions of dollars collected after the last year’s floods?”

He said that United Nations had taken more steps for the flood victims than our government.

Haji Muhammad Adeel of the Awami National Party (ANP) criticised institutions such as the NDMA and the meteorological department.

After the speeches ended, the leader of the house presented  the government’s point of view, concluding the debate.

Terming the circumstances leading to recent floods in Sindh ‘beyond human control’, he assured that the government would utilise all its assets to look after the welfare of flood-hit people.

Bokhari said that the government had tentative information about the extent of devastation because “we could not reach many areas because of heavy rains”. Officials of district administration, who were supposed to collect the data, were themselves amongst the victims, he said. He asked the members to identify those neglected areas and assured that aid would be provided.

Rabbani berates Gilani

Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has violated the spirit of the 18th Amendment by calling the National Health Conference in Lahore to combat dengue, according to Pakistan Peoples Senator Mian Raza Rabbani.

On Monday, Gilani called a meeting by engaging all provincial health secretaries to cope with dengue outbreak.

“Premier Gilani should not call this meeting because it is against the spirit of 18th Amendment,” said Rabbani on the floor of the house adding, health has now become a provincial subject. Item 22 of the concurrent list that had been abolished through 18th Amendment has contained infectious diseases matters; the subject which was given in the list has now been devolved to the provinces.

“Intention of PM was good but the forum to call such meeting should have been different,” Rabbani told The Express Tribune. “Gilani’s advisers are misguiding him by formulating such policies to cope with natural disasters.”

The Council of Common Interest (CCI) is an appropriate forum to discuss such issues, Rabbani said.

A sub committee of the CCI could also be constituted to form out a policy to cope with dengue which now affected 54 countries, he said. Civil bureaucracy appears to be the main hurdle in the way of implementation of the 18th Amendment as it has its own vested interests, said Rabbani.

Clarifying the prime minister’s position, leader of the house Syed Nayyar Bukhari informed the lawmakers that there was a misconception on the health conference held in Lahore. “It was called to brief the PM on dengue and flood issues only.”

While commenting on Senator Rabbani’s assertion, a spokesman of Prime Minister Secretariat said that the coordination with the International Development Agencies including the UN System fully falls within the domain of the federal government. The government held the constitution in high esteem and had played an active role in the enactment of the 18th Amendment in the constitution removing all the deformities brought in by the dictators, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 20^th,  2011.