HYDERABAD, Aug 1: The Pasban leaders have said that they have visited Kadhan and other rain-affected areas of Badin district and added that the official claims of providing relief to the rain victims are bogus and publicity stunt.

They called upon the rulers to stop attending “deceptive” official briefings about rains and personally visit the rain-affected areas, see the plight of the people and announce adequate relief measures.

The provincial president of Pasban, Rafiq Ahmed Khaskheli, general secretary, Haji Hanif Mohammad, Badin district president, Nawab Ahmed Chang and others, who had recently visited Badin, were speaking at a news conference at the local press club on Friday.

They said that according to their assessment, around 2,000 people had died in rain-related incidents in Badin district where the area of 20 union councils had been totally destroyed and more than 350,000 people were still stranded at different places and waiting for relief.

They said that the people refused to go to the relief camps because their condition was deplorable. Giving an example, they added that 400 rain victims were made to live in two rooms of the Leghari primary school in Badin.

They said that criminal negligence was witnessed on the part of government functionaries deputed to provide relief to the rain-affected people.

They said that three army boats and three Edhi boats were trying to rescue the stranded people but it would take months for them to rescue all the stranded population.

They deplored the precious time of the government functionaries was being wasted on protocol duties instead of taking care of the rain victims.

Fearing that after the water receded, there would be more destruction, they demanded that the armed forces, coast guards, rangers, police, government organizations and volunteers should mobilize all their resources to rehabilitate the rain victims.

The Sindh chapter of Pasban had provided a relief of Rs1.5 million to the rain-affected people as a first instalment, they said.

STPP: Meanwhile, central committee of the Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party, at a meeting held here on Friday, observed that the financial aid announced by the government for the rain-affected people of Sindh was a joke and demanded that at least 15 billion rupees should be allocated to rehabilitate the rain victims and restore the infrastructure.

The meeting held the government functionaries particularly the irrigation officials responsible for the widespread devastation in the province due to rains.

It observed that the steps taken by the government to provide relief to the affected-people were just a formality as thousands of people were still stranded and waiting for relief.

It deplored that instead of taking practical steps to rescue the rain victims, the ministers and advisers were just issuing statements.

STPP chairman Dr Qadir Magsi presided over the meeting.