KARACHI, Dec 30: President Asif Ali Zardari sought on Thursday a report in one week on steps taken to seek help from China, Turkey and the UAE for rebuilding the houses damaged in Sindh by the recent floods.
Presiding over six meetings here to review progress on development projects in the province, the president ordered that a reconstruction body, headed by the chief minister, be set up to oversee the project for rebuilding 175,000 damaged houses.
He said that during his talks with the leaders of China, Turkey and the UAE they had offered to assist Pakistan in the rebuilding effort.
Mr Zardari asked the provincial government and legislators of the Pakistan People's Party to ensure that promises for rehabilitation of the flood-affected people were translated into action.
He is reported to have told the participants that presentations alone without follow-up action would not satisfy him.
According to presidential spokesperson Farhatullah Babar, the president called for exploring alternative sources of funding for completing the stalled projects because of the financial crunch.
The meetings were attended by Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, federal ministers Abdul Hafeez Sheikh and Arbab Alamgir, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Water Kamal Majeedullah, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Nadeemul Haque, State Bank Governor Shahid Kardar, provincial ministers Zulfiqar Mirza, Murad Ali Shah, Agha Siraj Durrani, Ayaz Soomro and Jam Saifullah Dharejo, MNA Faryal Talpur and senior federal and provincial officials.
Mr Babar told reporters that the projects and schemes reviewed included the rebuilding of houses and roads damaged by the floods, the Karachi sewerage scheme, stalled PSDP projects, medium-sized dams in Sindh and Balochistan, Karachi Harbour crossing and a development package for Larkana.
The president called for an early completion of infrastructure projects in communications and highway sectors.
He said that a committee comprising the National Highway Authority chairman, the Planning Commission's deputy chairman, the finance secretary and the SBP governor should be set up to float in one month expressions of interest for the N-9 (Karachi-Hyderabad) highway project on a build, operate and transfer basis.
The president further advised that funds for development projects should be raised only through Pakistani stock exchanges.
He was also briefed on a scheme for building 32 small dams for which he had held talks with the Chinese leadership during his recent visit to that country.
The losses caused to the road sector were estimated at Rs18.38 billion and Rs22.41 billion will be required for their reconstruction.
The president advised that the Karachi sewerage project should include the conversion of sewerage into fertiliser.
Mr Zardari was also briefed on the Mai Kolachi water treatment project and the Sandspit flyover.
The Chief Minister's Adviser on Information, Sharmila Farooqui, said that for the first time PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had also attended the meetings and put searching questions.