Flood woes: Prioritise disaster management, says Imran

PTI chief says money for Metro Bus should be used for flood prevention

RAJANPUR:

“If the Punjab government uses 20 per cent of Metro Bus funds, thousands of families can be saved from floods that wreak havoc in south Punjab every year,” Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said on Monday.

He was talking to villagers in Rojhan Mazari, Rajanpur during a visit of flood-hit areas of Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan. PTI National Organiser Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Jahangir Tareen accompanied him on the visit. Their visit to Layyah was postponed due to weather.

The PTI chief said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had formed a government in the Punjab for two consecutive terms but had failed to form a comprehensive disaster management policy.

Khan said south Punjab had been worst-hit by the corruption of Sharif brothers. “They will happily make governments for another 50 years but will not repair dykes and distribute aid,” he said. He said the Punjab government was focusing only on development of Lahore.

“They think that only the people of Lahore deserve their attention,” he said. He said that with Rs200 million embankments in flooded areas could have been strengthened.

The PTI chairman said the government had neglected the people living in tribal areas of Dera Ghazi Khan.

He said the provincial government prioritised needs of businessmen over problems faced by farmers.

“Our economy will grow stronger when the government devises a policy in support agriculture,” he said.

He said floods displaced thousands of people every year.

“Their farms get destroyed and their homes get destroyed,” he said.

He said he stood in solidarity with farmers of the country.

“In last 10 years, farmers of south Punjab have lost Rs100 billion due to flood,” the PTI chief said. He said they had never been compensated for their losses. He said the PTI would continue its struggle for the poor of the country.“I will demand justice for the farmers of south Punjab at every forum,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 4^th, 2015.