Zahoor of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Meraj Humayun khan and Arshad Umerzai and Bakht Baidar of Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) and Syed Muhammad Ali Shah Bacha of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) expressed dissatisfaction over the relief work.
The MPAs said the flood caused human as well property losses in different districts of the province particularly in Chitral but the relief activities were too slow. They said the concerned departments should be directed to expedite relief and rehabilitation work and repair the damages infrastructure on war footings.
The lawmakers said the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) should have offices in all districts and at least at divisional headquarters to reach to affected areas on time. They called for taking precautionary measures and arrangements in the flood prone areas as floods continuously hit these areas.
Though natural calamities couldn’t be averted, at least precautionary measures could be taken to minimise the losses, they added. They asked the government to announce the compensation plan and release the amount to the affectees at the earliest.
The survey for damage should be completed at the earliest and payment to the victim families be made, they demanded. The government should prepare a comprehensive plan for constructing protective walls and small dams to control the floods, the members suggested.
Replying to the remarks of Sardar Babak that PTI Chairman Imran Khan visited Chitral to attend the Nikah ceremony of his nephew, Minister for Public Health Engineering Shah Farman said Imran Khan didn’t attend any such ceremony and added he had gone to Chitral to express solidarity with the affected people. He said the flood issue should not be politicised.
He said it was the responsibility of the government to take measures according to environmental changes and the PTI-led provincial setup was fully prepared to shoulder its responsibilities.
He said the MPAs from Chitral, who belonged to PPP, were witness to the fact that Imran Khan didn’t attend any function. Paying tributes to the policemen, who were killed in terror acts, Aneesa Zeb Tahirkheli said that Police Shuhada Day was being observed and the whole house acknowledged their sacrifices.
She said some 1511 police officers and jawans embraced martyrdom to protect the life and property of the people. The house prayed for eternal peace of the Shuhada.Speaker Asad Qaiser adjourned the session till 3pm on Friday.