In the wake of the 18th Amendment to the constitution, the federating units were given greater autonomy to strengthen their respective governance structures. Various surveys point out that Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have made greater strides on the economic and social fronts since then. However, the other two provinces, Balochistan and Sindh, have not reaped the same benefits. The recent floods have further exposed inherent weaknesses as the two provinces failed to provide timely relief to citizens and tackle the emergency effectively to limit the losses. Per some media reports, Punjab and KP managed to attract significant relief aid due to the aggressive running of media campaigns by social activists. But Balochistan and Sindh failed badly on this front as they failed to generate a powerful voice asking for relief.
While the Punjab government has announced relief packages for affected families, from providing scholarships to students to monetary aid to distressed families, the provincial governments of Sindh and Balochistan have yet to unveil any such plans. The residents of the latter two provinces have every right to question their elected leaders on their failure to deliver on their mandate. The superior courts should also demand an explanation from the provincial governments on why they are failing to provide fundamental rights to their citizens.
Asad Aziz
Naushehra