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Balochistan opposition seeks relief package
QUETTA: Members of the opposition parties in the Balochistan Assembly have appealed to the international community, donor agencies and the federal government to announce a special package for reconstruction and rehabilitation of rain- and flood-stricken Balochistan that suffered massive destruction.
Speaking at a joint press conference, opposition leader Malik Sikander Khan, along with Malik Naseer Ahmed Shahwani, Akhtar Hussain Langove and Mir Zabid Reki, on Wednesday warned that if the federal government would not announce the special package, they along with the treasury members would stage a sit-in outside the PM House and NDMA headquarters in Islamabad.
They said the unprecedented torrential rains and flash floods had played havoc on Balochistan, claiming hundreds of lives and damaging infrastructure that rendered a huge population homeless in all the 34 districts, besides destroying standing crops and creating food shortage.
They said the provincial government had no resources to compensate the people for the billions of rupees of losses and launch reconstruction and rehabilitation work in the province.
The opposition members said they would meet the chief minister in this regard and, if necessary, would also hold a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Malik Sikander said the entire province was badly affected and it immediately needed financial help for rehabilitation of the flood victims. He said JUI-F and BNP were participating in relief activities on their own, but people from other segments of society and donor agencies also need to participate in relief work at this time.
Instead of the PDMA photo session, he said, the chief minister should use all resources in relief operation and send the provincial ministers to the affected areas for providing relief to the people. The administrative machinery should be directed towards the relief of public and address their losses, he added.
Mr Shahwani said landowners in Balochistan had suffered losses of more than Rs300 billion so far.
Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2022
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