Pakistan

Front against floods

Setting up a body headed by people of integrity to oversee flood relief efforts is wise.

Editorial August 16, 2010

The prompt agreement by Prime Minister Gilani to set up a body headed by people of integrity to oversee flood relief efforts is wise. The PML-N chief, who met the prime minister on Saturday, had, according to news reports, anticipated a refusal and scheduled a press talk to presumably further lambast government efforts. This unpleasant exchange of jibes between the PPP and the PML-N is immensely inappropriate at a time when children starve and millions face the risk of disease. The setting up of a joint relief commission should help bring all groups together to take up a task that no one party can perform alone. The names of retired justices put forward to head the commission would also lend to the relief effort a much needed air of credibility. The absence of this, and allegations of aid being distributed along political lines, has contributed to a situation where there is hesitation to donate funds for the effort.

The coming together of key opposition parties should also motivate others to follow and join hands. The flood is no time for point scoring. We must hope the commission can act effectively to streamline and organise efforts and also persuade donors to part with much needed cash. The maturity of both major parties in this regard needs to be lauded. The suggestions made so far, including the pumping in of funds from the national exchequer to the flood relief fund, also seem to set the right tone and pace. The task of coping with the worst natural disaster in our history is a mammoth one. Even now, the sheer scale of the disaster leaves open the question of how it is to be managed. We hope the commission will also incorporate representatives from the many organisations active in the field. It must act as a body capable of handling all the many dimensions of this catastrophe with our political leaders doing all they can to ensure its affairs are run transparently so that damaging innuendos concerning misuse or misappropriation of money can be avoided.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 17^th, 2010.

COMMENTS (2)

adeel | 13 years ago | Reply God protect pakistan, its people and the cruelty they face... Expically, those poor ahmaddi's

Meekal Ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply As I understand it the suggestion is to transfer DEVELOPMENT funds into this flood relief kitty. Ever heard of throwing the baby out with the bath-water? Why would you, of all the worst possible things, cut and transfer development funds? Ruin the economics of hundreds of on-going or new projects that foster economic growth and create jobs? They should cut CURRENT spending. And we all know the line items that should be cut. I will not belabor the point. To be sure, there is fluff even in the development program (and some say a lot of what is really current spending is hidden under the development program). Nice trick. If that is the case prioritize and protect that which is vital to unperin growth and employment. Cut only the rest. While you are at it, you might think of raising some tax-revenue as well, the F-word in Pakistan. There is bound to be a blunt, regressive and inflationary flood development surcharge. We love these easy-to-collect taxes. One of our Finance Minister's was so fond of slapping surcharges on everything that moved that he became to be known as "Surcharge A.....". I suppose there is no hope of progressive taxes. However, that would only apply prospectively and the resources are needed NOW. We need a three-to-five year recovery and reconstruction plan which is sensible, credible and fully-financed. Is anyone working on that? I know the Bank is working on an assessment. Perhaps a 'plan' will come out of that.

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