JHANG, Aug 13 Jhang should be declared a calamity-stricken district and the government should make arrangements for the relief and rehabilitation of the flood-affected people here.

This was stated by Begum Abida Husain at a media conference here on Thursday night.

Delay in action at Trimun Headworks by the authorities caused widespread devastation upstream and left about 500 villages submerged, said Ms Husain, who is member of PPP's Central Executive Committee.

On the role of people's representatives in such disasters, she said it was for them to take the initiative and prove themselves role models by leading from the front, but all five elected MNAs from the district kept themselves aloof from their electorate in this hour of need.

She said Pervaiz Elahi was criticising Zardari for his visit to France and Britain, but how would he defend his party man Faisal Saleh Hayat who was enjoying his foreign tour when the people of his constituency were drowning.—Correspondent