KARACHI: While praising the armed forces for their recent rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit areas across Pakistan, the Jamaat-i-Islami on Saturday “appealed” to the army chief to go a step forward and give shelter to hundreds of thousands of homeless people and affectees on the land owned by the armed forces.

The party, which has been actively involved in rescue and rehabilitation operations in the flood-hit areas under its welfare wing, Al-Khidmat, came up with the suggestion for immediate relief of the displaced persons, calling it a most viable proposal after the provincial government and its institutions have “failed to handle the situation”.

“We sincerely appreciate the efforts of our armed forces,” the party’s Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman told a press here. “They have proved their excellence in the post-disaster situation. Whether, it’s the army, navy or air force...they all are contributing to contain the impact of this natural calamity.”

He continued: “But let me make a request here. I want to make an appeal to the army chief for a step forward. I request you to please give these homeless people shelter on the lands owned by the armed forces. We can set up a tent city there.”

Hafiz Naeem says his party can set up tent city for displaced persons

He said Al-Khidmat was spending millions of rupees every day with the cooperation of the people of Karachi through its thousands of volunteers, who were in the flood-hit areas for the last two weeks. But, the level of challenge could not be met by any welfare body, he said.

“No relief body can singlehandedly meet this challenge. It’s the job of the state. It’s the job of the government, its ministers, its local government system and bureaucracy. Because they have the resources, power and funds,” he said. “But, unfortunately here in Sindh and other flood-hit provinces we don’t see any government on ground. The system has failed miserably. So I request you [armed forced] to play your role.”

Referring to the lands and residential facilities owned by the armed forces in Karachi, Hyderabad and Pannu Aqil and other parts of the country, he said that these could be used for providing temporary shelters to the hundreds of thousands of homeless people.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2022