KARACHI, Sept 10: The MQM Coordination Committee has appealed to President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to immediately set up a disaster relief funds for thousands of families affected by the devastating rains and flooding in certain areas of Sindh.

In a communiqué sent to the president and prime minister, the committee pointed out the torrential rains had caused widespread damage and rendered thousands of families homeless and many of the families had lost everything they had.

They observed that all those affected by the natural calamity were in desperate need of urgent and adequate assistance.

Stressing on the immediate setting up of a disaster relief fund, they also called for necessary instructions to be given to the federal officials for assistance and relief measures, including the work for draining out water from roads and streets of Hyderabad and other areas.

Meanwhile, MQM leader Altaf Husssain has appealed to people to come forward and help those affected by rains and flooding so that they could recover from their pitiable plight to observe fasting in Ramazan and celebrate Eidul fitr with peace of mind.

In a statement issued on Sunday, he urged philanthropists and other people to donate generously in cash and kind and deposit the same with the MQM’s welfare wing, the Khidmat-i-Khalq Foundation.

Mr Hussain stressed that every donor should seek a receipt of the donation, and also impressed upon the party cadre not to exert pressure on anyone for donation.

He directed the party workers to work round the clock for collecting zakat and fitra for the rain-affected people of Sindh and other areas.

The MQM has set up relief and medical camps in the affected areas across Sindh.

On Saturday, Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain had directed the district nazim of Hyderabad, as well as legislators and office-bearers of MQM to put in every effort to provide relief to the rain-hit people of Hyderabad.

He asked them to carry out rescue and relief work on war footing.

In this testing time and with limited resources, our MPAS and Hyderabad office-bearers should employ all their energies to drain out water from the affected areas, he said, and lauded the efforts by the party leaders and workers who had already been making vigorous efforts to provide relief to people.

Meanwhile, MQM legislators have appealed to the president, prime minister, besides Sindh governor and chief minister, to declare Hyderabad ‘calamity-hit area’.

In a joint statement, they noted that the rainwater that had accumulated in almost every locality of the city had submerged roads and streets, besides bringing all business, commercial and other activities to a halt.