SUKKUR: Terrorism was the biggest spectre haunting the nation and the government was determined to tackle it head-on, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said here on Saturday.

“My government has been holding negotiations with all stakeholders in order to evolve a consensus. We will ensure its implementation in all respects,” Mr Sharif said during a visit to flood-affected areas of Sukkur and Ghotki districts.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and some officials of the Sindh government accompanied Mr Sharif to Sukkur and Ghotki.

Turning to the flood havoc, the prime minister said the federal government would help all the provinces to overcome the flood losses and that he had directed the authorities to prepare a report on the destruction caused by the disaster.

Referring to possibility of more rains and floods next month, Mr Sharif said: “I have advised Qaim Ali Shah to start putting in place precautionary measures in order to minimise the damage from rains in September.”

The Sindh government had also been asked to fix responsibility for the “inadequate contingency measures” despite timely warnings by the flood forecasting centre, he added.

“The well-being of the people of Sindh is dear to me. The federal government will not leave them alone in their hour of need,” Mr Sharif said.

He said it was the duty of the provincial government, as well as the centre, to help the homeless by providing them food, medicine and shelter.

Later Mr Sharif visited a camp at Qadirpur and distributed relief goods among people affected by floods.

DISENCHANTMENT? The absence of big names of the Sindh PML-N like Ghous Ali Shah, Mumtaz Ali Bhutto and Liaquat Ali Jatoi from the events arranged for the premier set off speculations that all was not well within the provincial chapter of the party.

The only prominent face seen with Mr Sarif was that of Saleem Zia, the party’s secretary general in Sindh.

Workers of the PML-N had their own complaints. They said none of them was allowed to meet Nawaz Sharif either at Sukkur or Ghotki.

APP adds: The prime minister directed all provincial governments to enhance their preparedness to meet flood threats in case of more rains next month and ensure measures for relief and rehabilitation of the affected populace.

He said that besides Sindh, the recent rains had also affected Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and some parts of Balochistan.

He said several families had been shifted to safe places as their villages had been inundated.

The prime minister took an aerial view of the flood-hit areas in Ghotki and distributed relief goods among the affected people.

During a briefing on the flood situation, the authorities concerned complained to the prime minister about a shortage of funds to improve the canal system and protect the embankments.

Earlier on arrival at the Sukkur Airport, the prime minister was received by Sindh chief minister.