KARACHI: Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq on Tuesday asked “billionaire political and non-political leaders” to donate a considerable amount of their wealth for the flood-affected people in the country.

Speaking at a press conference at the central relief camp of the party at Idara Noor-i-Haq and later while visiting a shelter facility of the affected people, he said that the government took notice of the situation and started acting only after the global community started offering financial assistance.

He said the financial assistance that came in for the victims of 2005 earthquake fell prey to corruption. This should not be the case and the ruling regime refrain itself from political distribution of the foreign aid, he added.

The JI leader said the political parties in the country were taking this calamity as an opportunity for politics and point scoring.

He reminded the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz that it was the ruling party and should not participate in the race of political conventions. “Instead, the government should focus on the flood-affected people and mobilising its resources for relief and rehabilitation of the victims,” he added.

He hailed the role of the party’s welfare wing, Al-Khidmat, and people engaged in relief work, but made it clear that despite all the serious efforts, donations and work, these organisations were not a substitute for the government and its resources.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2022