SARGODHA: If the lions of the PML-N are provoked again and again and forced to react by those holding sit-ins and raising anti-government slogans, the protesters will not find any refuge in any corner of Pakistan.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said this at a rally of flood-affected people of Shahpur, 35 kilometres Sargodha, on Wednesday.

Mr Sharif visited flood-hit areas of tehsil Pindi Bhattian of Hafizabad, Shahpur of Sargodha, tehsil Phalia of Mandi Bahauddin, tehsil Wazirabad of Gujranwala and tehsil Sumbrial of Sialkot for 10 hours.

He also reviewed arrangements at the centres set up for the payment of financial assistance to flood affectees and distributed a sum of Rs25,000 each as the first installment of the compensation to the flood-hit people.

He said the protesters had no welfare programme for the public; had they had any plan, they would have put it up for the flood victims. He said the government had provided all sorts of relief to those displaced by the floods and now it had started a rehabilitation programme for them all over Punjab. He said the champions of democracy had left marooned people in the lurch.

Shahbaz reviews compensation distribution among flood-hit families

He distributed cheques for Rs25,000 each among 120 families of the River Jhelum flooding victims.

He said Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) leaders were singing songs of democracy but they did nothing for democracy. He said in such circumstance even enemies stepped forward to help the marooned people but PTI and PAT leaders showed no sympathy for the people of 16 districts of Punjab. He said the protesters had violated the law of the land and crossed the limits of decency. He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had shown no reaction to protests for the greater interest of democracy and adopted tolerance. He also advised his workers to tolerate the protesters but warned that the gesture should not be considered the weakness of the PML-N or the government.

He said the sit-ins had created hindrance in foreign investment, particularly in power projects by China.

He said the government had launched a one-window operation with the help of Nadra and other departments and the Bank of Punjab to ensure transparency in the distribution of grant to the people.

District Coordination Officer Saqib Manan briefed the chief minister that floods of rivers Chenab and Jhelum affected 2,236 families and they would get funds at four distribution centres.

SIALKOT: Mr Sharif said the government was ensuring the transparent distribution of financial compensation to the flood affected people and would take stern legal action against the negligent officials.

He said this while talking to people after reviewing the process of payment of compensation in Sambrial and Wazirabad after this noon. Elected representatives were also present.

He talked to reporters at the office of Sambrial assistant commissioner and said the government had accelerated the pace of the rehabilitation activities.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd , 2014