Spending of scarce resources on extremist seminaries is criminal: Zardari

ISLAMABAD: Former president Asif Ali Zardari has said it is criminal to divert scarce resources to strengthening seminaries known for preaching extremism while ignoring issues of climate change and relief and rehabilitation of the victims of climate change.

“We must re-order our priorities,” he said this while expressing profound grief over the death of over thirty people and damages to property in flash floods in Chitral. “The havoc caused by floods in Chitral has saddened the nation,” he said in a statement on Sunday, asking the authorities concerned to immediately arrange relief for the victims.

Asif Zardari also condoled with the bereaved families over the death of their loved ones and prayed for eternal rest to those who lost their lives in the calamity. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families,” he said. The former president also directed the provincial chapter of his party to reach out to the flood victims and assist them in rehabilitation.

Zardari said that flash floods, torrential rains, drought and heavy monsoons are the result of global warming and climate change and asked the government to prepare a long-term strategy for combating the vagaries of climate change.

“The entire region is beset with the problem of climate change, and we need to adopt a combined regional approach to address the issue,” he said.