DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq has demanded of the government to kick start relief activities from their own resources instead of waiting for foreign funds because the people need immediate help in this critical situation.

Talking to journalists at a relief camp set up by Al-Khidmat Foundation during his visit to flood-affected areas in Dera Ismail Khan and Tank districts on Monday, he said that it was bigger tragedy than flood that government had resources but it was utilising them.

“Officials are sitting in their offices while flood victims are sitting under the open sky, waiting for help,” said the JI chief. He said people in the flood-affected areas were lying in disarray and no assistance was being provided to them by the government agencies.

He said that rulers were busy in meetings and politics instead of serving people in that critical time. He said that government was only waiting for foreign aid.

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“Our government and helicopters have swung into action after getting assistance from Asian Development Bank. The rescue and rehabilitation of flood victims should be started without waiting for international help as flood victims are in a very difficult situation,” said Sirajul Haq.

He said that the entire Pakistani nation stood by the flood victims. He said that JI was playing the role of real opposition in the country. He alleged that coronavirus funds and earthquake relief funds were embezzled in the past.

The JI chief said that federal and provincial governments were eying international donations to use the same for election campaign and political purposes instead of rehabilitating flood victims. “But now people have awakened and they would not let the rulers to manipulate the funds,” he added.

He said that volunteers of Al-Khidmat Foundation were rescuing people and providing food and water to them. He said that irrigation department was responsible for the damage caused to Dera Ismail Khan in the recent flood.

Sirajul Haq said that rulers should leave politics to serve the people. He said that 1,000 people were killed due recent floods and rains across the country.

The JI chief also met flood victims during his visit to flood-affected areas and also distributed relief items among them.

Al-Khidmat Foundation provincial chief Khalid Waqas, district president Manzar Masood Khattak, JI district emir Maulana Salimullah Arshad, former district chief Zahid Muhibullah, general secretary Bashir and others were also present on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2022