Calamity-hit status for Chitral sought

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Wednesday demanded that the provincial government immediately declare Upper Chitral and Lower Chitral as calamity-hit areas in the wake of recent devastating floods, calling for large-scale relief operations to restore normal life and ease the suffering of affected communities.

Deputy Speaker Suraya Bibi raised the issue during the session, urging the government to act without further delay. She noted that three days had already passed since the floods struck, yet the provincial authorities had failed to launch meaningful relief and rehabilitation efforts in the Chitral districts. Communication roads have been destroyed, crops and property have suffered extensive damage, and several areas have been completely cut off from the rest of the province, leaving residents stranded and isolated.

Expressing deep concern, the Deputy Speaker said the people of Chitral had been left alone in their hour of need. She requested Speaker Babar Saleem Swati to issue a ruling directing the government to declare the districts calamity-hit and commence immediate relief activities.

Responding to the demand, Speaker Swati sought the government's position on the situation and directed the Secretary of the Provincial Assembly to obtain updated information from the Chief Secretary's office by Friday morning regarding the status of both districts and any progress toward calamity declaration. He assured the Deputy Speaker that if the government failed to announce the status by Friday, he would issue a formal ruling on the matter. The Speaker also clarified that the decision to declare any district calamity-hit is taken by the provincial government on the recommendation of the district administration. Deputy Speaker Bibi informed the House that, according to her information, the district administrations of Upper and Lower Chitral had already submitted their reports to the Chief Secretary's office.

Earlier in the sitting, the Assembly offered Fateha for those who lost their lives in recent terrorist incidents as well as in the torrential rains and flash floods.

The House also unanimously adopted a strongly worded resolution condemning India's illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, regarding Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The resolution, moved by government member Shafiullah Jan and supported by all political parties, declared that India's status in Kashmir is that of an external occupier and that no political process can substitute for the Kashmiri people's right to self-determination.