GUJRAT: PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi visited the flood-hit areas of Gujrat on Tuesday and distributed relief goods, tents, food items and utensils among the affected people.

Talking to reporters on the occasion, he said the army as well as Rescue 1122, the service established during his tenure, were rescuing the people in the flooded areas and providing them relief whereas Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Sharifs were responsible for drowning Pakistan, particularly Punjab.

“Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, by nature, is against the Muslims and by suddenly releasing such massive amount of water he has proved his enmity towards Pakistan.

“Nawaz Sharif had sent him a gift of mangoes and he (Indian PM) had responded with the gift of flood, he should have, at least, informed in advance in this regard for the sake of his friendship with Nawaz, now Nawaz is thanking him but for what?” the PML-Q leader said.

He said had Kalabagh dam been built, the floods would have been controlled, people would have got cheaper electricity and the common man as well as the country would have benefited from it a great deal.

Pervaiz Elahi said the governance of the rulers had been exposed as they had failed in protecting life and property of the people and they just undertook aerial visits in helicopters surrounded by police and were afraid of facing the public.

Talking to the flood affectees, he said the rulers, afraid of anger of the masses, were stealthily touring the flood hit areas and because of their activities, the number of participants of the sit-in and their enthusiasm was today much more than before.

The PML-Q leader said during his party’s tenure in government, they had constructed embankments as safeguard against flood and old embankments were regularly repaired every year but the PML-N government in Punjab had not provided funds for this purpose for last seven years and dumped all funds in “Jangla bus service”.

Pervaiz Elahi said it was the responsibility of the rulers to solve the problems of the flood-hit people but the inefficiency of Shahbaz Sharif and his enmity towards the farmers had deprived them of everything in the floods. “Now the rulers are visiting the flood-hit areas wearing Wellington boots and playing “topi drama” for the media.

He said the rulers did not bother about the people and that’s why electricity had become costly during their tenure, dearness of essential and other articles had increased by 100pc, crime rate had also risen by 100pc.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2014