PTI slams govt over poor K-P flood response

ISLAMABAD:

The opposition staged a walkout from the National Assembly on Friday, accusing the government of failing to provide adequate relief to flood-hit areas in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and of disqualifying its lawmakers to stifle dissent.

The session, chaired by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, began with Fateha for 15 people killed in a terrorist attack on a political rally and for the brothers of Minister of State Malik Rasheed Ahmed Khan and Shafqat Abbas. Question Hour was later suspended to take up the day's agenda, which included discussion on the flood situation.

Taking the floor, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan painted a grim picture of the devastation in K-P. He said that in Buner alone, 236 people had died, 120 were injured, while 1,470 shops and 875 homes were destroyed. He accused the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) of failing to provide sufficient assistance to the affected communities.

The PTI leader also criticised the government for alleged rigging in the 2024 general elections. "We had 180 seats, then 91, and now we are left with 76," he said. "Our voice is being suppressed. We will boycott this house and hold our own assembly outside."

Despite repeated requests from Speaker Sadiq for the opposition to remain in the chamber, PTI lawmakers walked out, chanting slogans in support of their party founder. Outside Parliament, the party inaugurated a "people's assembly" with a recitation from the Holy Quran under the chairmanship of former speaker Asad Qaiser.

Inside the National Assembly, a lack of quorum was pointed out, prompting Speaker Sadiq to express regret. "Today we have to discuss floods and the terrorist attack in Balochistan. It is highly regrettable that you point out quorum instead of engaging in debate on national issues," he remarked.

Defending the government's response, Speaker Sadiq praised the NDMA's work as "excellent" and offered to arrange a separate briefing for PTI leaders. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar also rejected the opposition's criticism, accusing it of engaging in "politics for the sake of politics."

Tarar explained that disaster management was structured across district, provincial, and national levels, with the NDMA serving primarily as an information-sharing body. He said the federal government had released Rs1.3 billion to the NDMA for relief efforts and urged unity in the face of multiple national crises. "Relief has a long way to go, so we ask that the nation stand with and help those affected," he said. He also highlighted the NDMA's mobile app, which he claimed provided 92 percent accurate predictions.

The session also addressed the situation in Balochistan. Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry reaffirmed the government's willingness to sit with provincial leadership on the issue of missing persons. He stressed that no institution wanted to be blamed for unlawful detentions.

Referring to the recent suicide attack on a BNP-M rally in Quetta, Chaudhry said the gathering had been held without security clearance, making it a "soft target." He also commented on the ongoing protest in Islamabad by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, without naming it directly. He described the demonstrators as "our sisters and daughters" but alleged the sit-in had been "held hostage" by a few individuals seeking political mileage.

While acknowledging the protesters' concerns, Chaudhry insisted that "many demands cannot be fulfilled," particularly those concerning under-trial detainees. He nevertheless reiterated that the government remained open to dialogue.

Speaker Sadiq concluded by noting the challenges confronting the country. "Afghanistan has faced an earthquake, Balochistan terrorism, and our country is under floods. Yet the opposition points out quorum. This is unfortunate," he said.