Politicising flood relief

In the face of one of the country's most devastating flood seasons, a public and unseemly war of words has erupted between the PPP and PML-N. Instead of presenting a united front to aid millions of affected citizens, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz have chosen to politicise relief efforts, and in the process, failing the very people they claim they are trying to help.

The core of this political conflict is not about the most effective mechanism for aid, but rather about claiming credit and asserting dominance. Bilawal has dogmatically insisted that the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) is the "sole method" for providing immediate relief, framing any rejection of it as an "irresponsible attitude" towards flood victims. But Maryam fairly questioned how a significantly large amount would be distributed through BISP when standard payments through the system are only about Rs10,000 - the Punjab CM wants to distribute 100 times that amount to flood victims.

On the other side, the CM's response has been equally partisan. Even if we take her at her word that BISP is a "very simplistic solution", several statements in her recent presser appeared to be sharp, unconstructive rebukes designed as sound bites for the evening news. In times like these, a good leader must put aside personal pride and do what is best for the country. Starving and sickly people at relief camps don't care if Maryam is holding her head high or begging for foreign aid. They just want some food, shelter and medicine.

And while BISP is not perfect, it is a readymade vehicle to distribute funds through. The only problem is how the name implies a connection with the PPP. This issue has come up previously as well, when PTI set up its Ehsaas Programme, which was essentially an upgraded BISP and has since been reabsorbed into the older programme. As a solution, the parliament could just change the name to something apolitical - simply dropping the 'B' would accomplish this. The PPP could still claim credit for setting up the programme, while opposition to such a plan would be a naked example of politicising poverty and aid.