Flood relief: PPP leaders collect Rs14m at charity event

Law minister says political foes are more interested in mud slinging.

HYDERABAD: This winter, the lives of all those people who were forced to abandon their homes because of the floods will be in grave danger, said Sindh Culture Minister Sassui Palijo. “The rains and floods have not only destroyed agricultural land but have created a food crisis as well.”

While talking to the media at a charity event organised by the Pakistan Peoples Party to raise money for the flood victims in Sindh, she said that the next two months would be very tough as there could be a new wave of death and despair. She added that the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies should help the government cope with the challenge. Palijo went on to discuss how the rain had damaged historically and archaeologically important sites such as the Naukot Fort in Thar and Moen Jo Daro in Larkana. She said the fort was completely ruined whereas the old city was partially damaged. She went on to say that her ministry had set up a meeting with archaeological experts in Karachi on October 15 to review the situation. Palijo donated Rs0.5 million along with the District Government of Hyderabad and the Hyderabad Police. The Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry donated Rs100,000 and the Bohri community donated Rs72,000 to the relief fund. In total they managed to collect Rs14 million. The Punjab chapter of the party donated around Rs6 million.

The federal law minister, Maula Bux Chandio, said that they had planned to organise similar events in Karachi and Islamabad. While talking to media, the federal law minister said that their political adversaries were more interested in mud slinging as compared to raising money for helping the people who were suffering because of the floods this year.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 10^th, 2011.