DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Saturday lauded the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for ensuring transparency in compensating the flood-affected people in the province.

He was speaking at a ceremony held here to distribute compensation cheques among the flood victims. He appreciated Senator Dr Sania Nishtar for tirelessly working to ensure efficient management and utilisation of flood relief funds.

Imran Khan said that the KP government set an example of transparency in disbursement of compensation funds among the flood-affected people by utilising a technology-based mechanism.

He said that the entire process entailed several phases such as on-ground verification of claims, digitisation of data of the damaged houses by visiting house to house in the flood-hit areas and above all payment of the compensation amount through bank accounts.

The PTI chief said that simplified procedures for disbursement of funds through banks would also help to do away with the culture of favouritism and bribe.

He said that the mechanism also enabled the affected people to open accounts in banks. He added that they could utilise their accounts for receiving government’s assistance in future as well.

He said that the KP government took pains to provide compensation to each flood victim in a dignified manner unlike the Sindh government where relief items were airdropped through helicopters in a manner that was against the dignity of humans.

Imran Khan also commended the administration, chief secretary, other relevant officials and leaders of PTI, especially Ali Amin Gandapur, for working for extending relief to the flood-affected people in that difficult time.

He said that all the pro-people measures were part of the journey towards making the country a welfare state. He added those initiatives, especially Ehsas and the health insurance programmes, had also been acknowledged and appreciated by the world.

After the speech of Imran Khan, some unruly participants encircled him as he went on stage to distribute the compensation cheques forcing him to leave the venue without giving away the cheques to the affected people.

The organisers rushed towards him and ushered him to an exit without distributing the cheques and the bank officials informed the participants that they would receive the cheques from tomorrow.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2022