In a rebuke to a major coalition partner over how to assist tens of thousands of flood-affected people in Punjab, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Saturday finally made her preference clear by officially announcing the launch of a special relief card.
The PPP has all along been maintaining that the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) is the most effective and fastest mechanism to assist flood victims, while the PML-N government in Punjab insists on channeling aid through its own "relief card" initiative.
The Punjab chief minister pledged financial compensation for destroyed homes, livestock losses, and agricultural damage.
Speaking at the inauguration of Punjab's Flood Survey Campaign, Maryam formally launched the digital survey portal and administered oaths to members of the survey teams herself.
"People from other provinces often say, 'If only we too were in Punjab,'" she said, adding, "There is no magic wand, but fortunately, Punjab has mostly had PML-N governments".
According to the chief minister, 2,200 survey teams comprising 10,000 members have been mobilised across Punjab. These include representatives from the revenue, agriculture, livestock departments, district administration and the Pakistan Army.
Unveiling the details of the relief card, Maryam said that families whose houses were completely destroyed would receive Rs1 million, while those whose homes were partially damaged would be given Rs500,000.
In cases of livestock deaths, compensation of Rs500,000 per animal would be provided.
She further announced that farmers cultivating up to 12 acres would receive Rs20,000 per acre as support.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday directed acceleration of relief and rehabilitation operations in flood-affected people.
The prime minister chaired a review meeting on the current flood situation and ongoing rehabilitation efforts immediately after his address at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, PM Office Media Wing said in a press.
The prime minister instructed the National Highway Authority (NHA) to expedite restoration work on the section of the M-5 Motorway affected by flooding from the Sutlej River.
Chief secretaries of all four provinces, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, also participated in the meeting.
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