Pakistan

The politics of breaches

The issue of dyke breaches and the damage this has caused will resonate strongly.

Editorial August 28, 2010

It is safe to say that, once the flood waters begin to recede and some semblance of normalcy returns to villages and towns shattered by the disaster, the issue of dyke breaches and the damage this caused will resonate strongly. It is already emerging as a central issue. From flood-affected areas everywhere we can sense the anger over the breaking down of walls in certain areas and allowing water to enter villages where the influential do not live. Potentially, the most grave dimension of the issue comes from the Sindh-Balochistan border area, with the Jamali tribe and politicians belonging to it accusing a Sindh minister and other feudals with power in their area of deliberately ordering waters to be channeled towards Jaffarabad district by opening up the barrier besides the Tori Canal. That district has, of course been devastated.

The question regarding breaches in dykes continues to come up. In Thatta, a city that now stands eerily empty with almost all its 300,000 inhabitants fleeing, people blame the irrigation department and ministers of neglect which allowed protective walls to weaken and then let in water. The charges are grave ones. We do not yet know how far they are based on reality. In some cases it is possible nothing could be done to hold up walls facing the fearful force of many cusecs of water; elsewhere breaching certain dykes may have been necessary to save key centres. The perceptions of people are however in some ways at least more significant than reality. Disaffection with government runs high. In some places, as in Muzaffargarh, the civil administration and the military have locked horns over which dykes to open up. This too could have repercussions. The allegation that decisions were made to save lands belonging to feudal strongmen rather than to safeguard the welfare of people is a very serious one. We have not heard the last of the matter which has the potential to create a great deal of discord and political turmoil in the months ahead.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29^th, 2010.

COMMENTS (1)

Salam Khalid | 14 years ago | Reply Most of the interior Sindh is controlled by influential feudals like Jatois, Bhuttos, Mehars etc, so this is not an isolated incident, this has been happening for decades, the feudals have their opwn private police and jails where they hold anyone who opposes them. There is absolutely no justice for the poor peasants who work like animals on lands owned by these parasitic feudals in return for crumbs. The Pakistani judiciary has failed these poor people and there is no ray of hope for these poor people and even their next generation as they are treated worse than slaves. I think Altaf Hussain call to the Army to take over makes absolute sense, because democracy in its current form is nothing but a grand farce.

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