LAHORE, Aug 24: The Pakistan People's Party has asked the Punjab government to declare the flood-affected villages of Kasur 'calamity-hit' by Sunday otherwise it will launch a protest drive.

PPP central executive committee member Chaudhry Manzoor, who hails from Kasur, said that the Punjab government had not yet woken to the magnitude of the disaster and if it did not declare the affected areas calamity-hit his party would mobilise the people and launch a protest campaign.

Talking to a group of journalists from Lahore on Wednesday, the former MNA said the provincial government did not bother to set up relief camps in the affected areas and locals had come forward to help them out.

Chaudhry Manzoor flanked by Punjab PPP deputy secretary-general Usman Malik said the provincial government would have to change its attitude and should activate its machinery to help out the flood-hit people.

Over a dozen villages including Chanda Singh, Bhakhi, Haq Wala, Kolinger, Kamalpura, Baak, Budha Singh and Sajra have been affected by the flood water of Sutlej. According to locals, crops on 30,000 acre land and scores of houses have been damaged.

“No relief camp has been set up by the government in our village as we have to cover several kilometers to get food for the family,” Barkat Ali, a resident of Chanda Singh, told Dawn.

He said: “We are desperately looking for government relief as after receding of floodwater we will not be able to cultivate our lands for at least three months.”

Muhammad Hanif said the people of the affected areas needed food and tents. “We have requested the government officials who have set up some camps far away from the affected areas to provide us with food and tents, but to no avail,” he said, and urged the authorities concerned to waive their electricity bills.