South Punjab politicians urge Centre to prioritise relief efforts

The MNAs and MPAs from southern Punjab briefed the PM on the devastation caused by the flood during his Multan visit.

The MNAs and MPAs from southern districts of the province on Monday briefed the prime minister on the devastation caused by the flood during his visit to Multan. The parliamentarians urged the federal government to make the relief work a priority.

Makhdoom Shahabud Din, the provincial Health Minister, said that the flood wave of 140,000 cusecs had devastated Chacharan Sharif. He pressed the federal government that the recovery of the people stranded in between the flood should be the top priority of in the relief works.

Hina Rabbani Khar, a federal minister, said that the scale of the damage was enormous and the residents of the affected areas had been deprived of food for the more than seven days now.

Jamshed Dasti, a PPP MNA from Muzaffargarh, alleged that the provincial government was not doing enough to provide relief to the flood victims. Rejecting Dasti’s allegations, Ahsanud Din Qureshi, a provincial minister, said that the government was committed to provide all possible assistance to the people. He said that Dasti’s comments were ‘his personal opinions’ and that the chief minister, Shahbaz Sharif, had been visiting the flood affected districts for several days, monitoring the relief work.

Hamid Saeed Kazmi, the Religious Affairs’ Minister, said that upon seeking help from the cabinet secretary, he was told that all relief assistance was going to be provided through the provincial government.

He stressed that the provincial and the federal governments needed to work together to face the challenge.

Bhong:

Bhong’s renowned mosque, built by Raees Ghazi Muhammad in 1932, as well as the palace of Raees Mehboob, the Samaji Behbood Qaumi Council chairman, was flooded with water following an overflow from a dyke in Kotla late night on Saturday.

The resulting flood affected the surrounding settlements which were vacated during the last 24 hours. These include Bhong city, Rahimabad, Chowk Sawetra, Mahi Chowk and Kot Sabzal.

Flood water entered Garhi Dhudho and Garhi Kher Muhammad areas. According to details, the administration, instead of making announcements about the threat or taking measures against it, disappeared.

The news of the flood, however, spread in the surrounding areas and announcements were made in mosques as far away as Sadiqabad alarming people to vacate the area.

The flood torrent entered Bhong city and inundated the international award winning mosque and Raees Mehboob’s palace.

Meanwhile, Hina Rabbani Khar, the federal minister, Jehangir Khan Tarin, the former federal minister, and Makhdoom Saeed Ahmed, the PML-F provincial president, MNAs and MPAs from the southern districts of the province as well as Mian Mushtaq, the Bahawalpur commissioner, the Bahawalpur RPO and the Rahim Yar Khan DPO visited the city on Sunday.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 10^th, 2010.