Visit to South Punjab: Govt stands by people in testing times, says PM Nawaz

Commends the efforts of Punjab CM; describes him as the real hero of Pakistan

MULTAN:

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made an impassioned pledge to flood victims on Tuesday, assuring them of continued government assistance to enable them to stand on their own feet.

“I can feel the pain and suffering you people are going through and the government will not leave you alone in these testing times,” he said.



The premier was addressing a gathering of flood victims at a relief camp in Khurshidabad. During  his visit PM Nawaz monitored the relief activities in flood-hit South Punjab.

The PM said that the government and the whole nation shared the grief and sufferings of the affected people, who were forced to leave their homes. “No one likes to leave their homes but the flood water entered houses, destroyed crops, and swept away livestock.”

The PM said the government would perform its duty with impeccable sense of responsibility to provide relief to the people and to alleviate their sufferings.

“Your every loss will be compensated,” he said. “I am aware that this unseen problem has shaken everything in your life but we will not let you struggle for getting back your hopes and dreams,” he added.

He said the government would facilitate the flood victims with all its resources. “We have diverted our available resources even from other projects for immediate relief to the flood victims,” he said.

Commending the efforts of Punjab government, he said Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif is the real hero of Pakistan.

“I am surprised at the dedication, loyalty, hard work of Shahbaz Sharif, who is reaching every spot before the floodwater to ensure safety of the people of Pakistan,” he added.

Earlier, PM Nawaz Sharif visited the relief camp where he saw all the tents set up for the flood affected people and talked to them to know about their problems.

Later, DCO Hafiz Shoukat Ali gave a detailed briefing to the prime minister on rescue and relief operation in dMuzaffargarh .

Tribesmen’s sacrifices make nation proud: PM

The PM also saluted the brave people of the tribal areas – especially those from North Waziristan Agency (NWA) – who have rendered great sacrifices for durable peace in the country for which the entire Pakistani nation is proud of them.

He was talking to a large jirga delegation from the NWA, led by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman at the PM’s House in Islamabad.

He said the government was trying its best to ensure early return of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of the NWA to their homes, so that they could start their lives afresh in an atmosphere of peace and stability.

“The North Waziristan will soon be cleared,” he said while expressing hope that permanent peace would be restored in the area, according to a press release issued by the PM’s Office

Earlier, Maulana Fazlur Rahman apprised the prime minister of the difficulties, being faced by the displaced families and regretted that the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) was oblivious to these problems.

The tribal elders also expressed their views and submitted their recommendations. Secretary to the PM Javed Aslam and Political Secretary to PM Dr Asif Kirmani also attended the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th, 2014.