JHANG: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan has said the ‘inordinate delay’ in breaching Athara Hazari dyke resulted in submerging of the entire Massan area upstream Trimu Headworks.

Addressing a gathering at Haveli Shaikh Raju, 25km from here on Monday, he alleged this was done to save Hamza Sugar Mills from being inundated that was owned by MNA Hamza Shahbaz, son of Punjab chief minister. (The Sharif family, however, denies it owns any sugar mills in Jhang).

The people of a vast area of Massan, comprising five union councils lying between River Chenab and River Jhelum, were badly hit by the floodwaters.

Imran Khan said if the dyke had been breached in time hundreds of upstream villages could have been saved from devastation.

He said Sharif brothers were spending Rs250 million from the exchequer on the construction of a bridge over Chenab -- between Bhowana Town on the left bank and a small village, Kalri, on the right bank, only to facilitate supply of sugarcane to Ramzan Sugar Mills owned by the Sharifs.

PTI announces relief package, medical camp for the flood-hit

PTI chief said the sole purpose of this spending of taxpayers’ money was to serve the business interests of the Sharifs, adding if the amount was spent on strengthening the dykes and upgrading Trimu Headworks, such a massive devastation could have been averted.

Mr Khan said the purpose of the PTI’s sit-in (Dharna) in front of the Parliament House was to pressurise the Sharifs to restrain them from indulging in such ‘corrupt practices’.

He expressed the hope that the agitation would rid the people of Pakistan of ‘these inefficient and corrupt’ rulers soon.

PTI Vice-Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi who was accompanying Mr Khan also spoke on the occasion.

Dr Abul Hasan, a provincial leader of PTI, told the gathering that the party was a announcing a relief package for 4,000 flood-hit families of the district.

He said the party was also establishing a mega medical camp in the flood-effected area, under the supervision of prominent doctors, headed by surgeon Dr Musarratul Hasnain Bukhari.

Published in Dawn, September 16th , 2014