SUKKUR: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said the federal government will provide Rs15 billion grant to the Sindh government to help it overcome the deepening crisis in the wake of widespread destruction of infrastructure and loss of lives caused by heavy rain and flash floods.

The prime minister flanked by federal ministers Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Syed Khursheed Shah and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah told reporters at Sukkur barrage on Friday that the situation demanded all should rise above petty politics and help flood victims overcome their misery.

Mr Sharif, who took an aerial view of inundated areas in Sukkur, Rohri, Khairpur, Faiz Ganj, Kot Diji and Thari Mir Wah after landing in Sukkur, expressed serious concern over loss of lives and infrastructure caused by the heavy rain and floods.

He said the federal government’s grant would help the Sindh government carry out much-needed relief and rehabilitation operations. The coalition government would make collective efforts to alleviate suffering of the rain victims, he said.

He said that over 900 people had died in floods over the past few months and it took a heavy toll on crops and livestock.

He announced disbursement of Rs25,000 per household through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) starting from Friday and onwards and said around Rs28 billion would be given to the rain-affected people within one week.

The prime minister said that a joint survey was being conducted by the departments of federal and provincial governments to assess the scale of damage.

He lauded Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, for helping the flood-affected people and said that he had talked to army and naval chiefs who assured him of full support in relief and rescue operations.

The prime minister said that the flooded grid stations in rain-hit areas would be switched on again after taking necessary measures. The power stations had been turned off to avert incidents of electrocution, he said and directed federal minister for power to remain in Sindh to oversee relief activities.

He said that it was no time for politics. The federal and governments would not sit comfortably until each rain and flood affected person was rehabilitated, he vowed.

He said that he had personally met rain-affected people in camps and he was satisfied with the care the Sindh government was showing them. The provincial government had provided people with food and other necessary things along with medical help at camps, he said.

Though Pakistan was going through an economic crisis, the federal and provincial governments would not shirk their responsibility to help the rain-affected families, he said.

The district administration of Sukkur and representatives of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority also briefed the prime minister about ongoing work for the relief of the flood-stricken people and the rehabilitation of infrastructure.

The prime minister was informed that flood-hit areas also faced unavailability of communication services as the calamity had done severe damage to infrastructure in urban and rural areas. He was told that 43 food relief camps had been set up in Sindh where people were being given food and medicines.

The chief minister urged media to highlight the plight of flood-affected people and show true picture of devastation to international donor agencies. The Sindh government would stand by the rain-affected families in their difficult time, he said.

He urged international agencies such as UN, European Union and others to come forward to help humanity in this crisis.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said the moment afforded a test for all political parties to help people in their hour of need.

He thanked the prime minister for his announcement of compensation money for the victims through BISP and said that presently, tents were the most needed commodity.

He said the current heavy rains had caused huge devastation in Sindh, homes were demolished and crops standing were completely destroyed.

He advised all politicians to come together and help the calamity-hit families. The entire nation should come forward and help the victims, he said.

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl Sindh general secretary Rashid Mehmood Soomro stressed joint efforts of the federal and provincial governments in addition to private sector to help the flood victims.

Earlier, the prime minister accompanied by Mr Bhutto-Zardari and others visited relief camps in Sukkur district. When the prime minister was visiting the relief camp near BA college, rain-affected families from different areas had blocked some roads in protest against the administration’s failure to drain out stagnant rainwater.

Both the prime minster and Bilawal talked to the rain-affected families and heard their grievances and listened to a briefing by irrigation officials at Sukkur barrage to review the situation and water flows passing through the gates of the barrage.

Journalists protest

Journalists staged a protest as they were neither issued cards nor were they allowed to talk to the prime minister.

They were told that an official of Pakistan Information Department or Sindh Information Department would contact them but none contacted with journalists.

Later, the prime minister talked to them after their protest.

Khursheed Shah’s son faces people’s ire

As the prime minster was in Sukkur, Zeerak Shah, younger son of Federal Minster for Water Resources Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah paid a visit to Bachal Shah area, one of the worst rain-hit areas in Sukkur district.

On seeing him, enraged residents of the area chanted slogans against local and provincial governments and lashed out at the indifferent attitude of political representatives who had not visited them since the downpour had inundated the area and rendered them homeless.

They surrounded Shah’s son and reminded him that it was callous of him to visit the rain-hit areas in double cabin vehicles and Landcruisers along with gunmen.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2022