ISLAMABAD, Aug 8: Senators on both sides of the divide on Tuesday criticised the government for failing to warn people about flash floods which killed a large number of people in the NWFP, Punjab and Sindh and damaged thousands of houses, shops and other property across the country.
They demanded that the federal government should take immediate steps to help the provinces in rehabilitating people affected by floods and declare affected regions calamity-hit areas.
Interestingly, not a single item was shown, except the question hour, in the order of the day for the upper house, apparently in the hope that all treasury members would be invited to the coalition parliamentary group meeting at the Prime Minister’s House. However, invitees to the meeting were federal ministers, ministers of state, parliamentary secretaries and some prominent MPs and the remaining senators were asked to attend the day’s proceedings.
An adjournment motion on colossal losses due to flash floods, sought to be moved by a number of lawmakers from both opposition and the treasury, asked the government to set up a crisis management centre and a monitoring system and rehabilitate the flood-affected people.
The leader of the opposition, Raza Rabbani, said widespread destructions and deaths had occurred due to breaking of bridges in Mardan and Hyderabad. He said rainwater had played havoc with civic life in Karachi and had destroyed standing crops, whereas a high flood was yet to pass through the Giddu Brrage.
He regretted that while the provincial governments were incapable to handle such disasters, the centre had done little to support them. He said no concrete arrangements were in place.
He said the KESC had failed to ensure regular power supply in Karachi, which was affecting industrial manufacturing. He said the counsel for the KESC had taken the plea in the Sindh High court that the Senate standing committee concerned was considering the matter, though the committee had never met nor its meeting was scheduled in near future.
Asfandyar Wali Khan of the Awami National Party said Charsadda, Mardan, Buner, Swat and some parts of the Hazara division were the worst hit areas where hundreds of people had been killed in floods.
He criticised Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz for cancelling at eleventh hour his Charsadda visit to have an aerial view of the flood-hit areas.
Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal’s Dr Mohammad Saaed informed the house that 144 people had been killed and thousands injured and 16,000 houses had been partially damaged or and completely destroyed in Mardan, Charsadda and other areas of the NWFP. Besides, tobacco and sugarcane crops had been affected.
He regretted that the flood warning system was not working properly. He proposed that constructions at a certain distance from rivers and drains should be banned to avoid such disasters in future.
Mr Saaed said the meteorological department should use the latest radar system. He said a radar system should also be installed in the NWFP.
Babar Awan of the People’s Party Parliamentarians urged the government to set up a flood task force to tackle such tragedies.
Abdul Rahman Mandokhel of the Pakistan Oppressed Nations Movement claimed that 200 people had been swept away after the collapse of a bridge in Mardan and 110 bodies had been recovered so far. He said 20,000 houses had been destroyed.
Parigul Agha of the Pakistan Muslim League from Balochistan criticised ministers for not attending the session and entertaining complaints of MPs.
Chairman Mohammedmian Soomro said he had written to authorities concerned about the absence of ministers from the house.
