Troubled times lead to unlikely alliances

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif visited flood zones in Multan.


Express October 03, 2010

MULTAN/KOT ADDU: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif visited flood zones in Multan on Saturday and addressed a massive gathering of flood victims in the district.

PM Yousaf Raza Gilani said that all the political parties of the country were serving the flood victims by disposing with their differences adding that the government was trying to demonstrate political maturity by taking all political parties on board to serve the nation. Gilani added that the government was fully aware of the difficulties being faced by flood victims all over the country as nearly 20 million people had been rendered homeless by the floods.

“Under the prevailing circumstances, the federal and provincial governments along with all the political parties of the country need to set aside their political difference and look towards helping their people,” he said, adding, “This is not the time to highlight the rifts between political parties or focus on bad mouthing our opponents.”

The PM also said that the compensation process for the flood affected families had begun with the issuance of Watan Cards and soon compensation amounts would be raised to Rs100,000 in order to ensure speedy reconstruction of the damaged houses of the flood zones.

The prime minister highlighted that the federal government and provincial government were working together to provide aid to the people.

“We are both here today in a show of solidarity, we hope to extend this same solidarity in our efforts towards helping the affected people,” the prime minister said, indicating towards his visit with the chief minister.

“I have appealed to philanthropists and the international community to step forward at this juncture and help the flood victims and we are receiving a tremendous response”, Gilani said.

The government has decided with the consultation of all the provincial governments to facilitate cultivators in the flooded areas with free-of-cost seeds and fertilisers to cultivate next year’s crops. The federal government has already directed developmental institutions, banks and Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) not to charge farmers on electricity bills and agricultural loans.

The prime minister said that along with the compensation money worth Rs20,000 for flood affected families, the government was working to restore electricity, gas and infrastructure in flood zones.

The premier also thanked international donor agencies for providing medical aid, tents and other commodities for the flood affected people, adding that nearly Rs5 billion had been accumulated through the Prime Minister’s Flood Relief Fund.

He said that this money would be distributed to facilitate flood victims through the provincial governments. The prime minister also thanked the governments of Italy and Saudi Arabia for donating field hospitals for the flood victims that would be established in the cities of Jatoi, Gujrat, Rajan Pur and Jampur.

Chief minister Shahbaz Sharif said that the government was united in its efforts to support the flood affected people in their time of need. “We are all with you and we will not rest until you have a roof over your head and food to eat,” he said.

Meanwhile, Central Directorate of National Savings (CDNS) has started issuing duplicate saving certificates and cheque books under a relaxed procedure to flood-affected people whose documents were lost or damaged by the floods. CDNS regional director Malik Rafiq said that the procedure was being relaxed on orders of the federal government to facilitate flood-affected families.

“After receiving applications, an official of the CDNS will visit the residence of owners of lost or damaged saving certificates in flood zones to issue duplicate defense saving certificates or cheque books after verifying cases personally,” Malik Rafiq said. Previous conditions such as the registration of an FIR, statements of six witnesses and advertisement in newspapers have been abolished especially for flood victims. Rafiq said the government was also considering allowing disabled people to avail the ‘Behbood Saving Certificate Scheme’ and ‘Pensioners Benefit Account Scheme’.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3rd, 2010.

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