Flood-hit areas : Steps being taken to revive business activities: Rubina

MINGORA: Urging unity for rehabilitation of the flood affected people, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader and Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Chairperson Rubina Khalid on Sunday said measures to provide financial assistance to the maximum number of affected families were being expedited.

Speaking to journalists at the Swat Press Club, Senator Rubina Khalid said that the government had decided to facilitate the revival of businesses damaged by the floods.

“Discussions are underway to provide easy installment loans through Sindh Bank and other financial institutions,” she said, adding under the directives of the prime minister, further planning and measures would be taken not only to provide relief but also to create livelihood opportunities for the affected population.

The PPP leader stated that reforms in BISP’s registration system are being considered to ensure that more genuine and deserving individuals benefit from the programme. Acknowledging complaints that many eligible families remain deprived of support, she said the registration mechanism would be made more transparent and accessible. However, she admitted that due to limited resources, it was not possible for the government to reach every single affected person.

Highlighting the federal government’s efforts, Rubina Khalid said that the prime minister and the federal cabinet were closely monitoring the situation in flood-hit areas and that negligence in relief activities would not be tolerated. “I want to assure the people that the federal government will not abandon them,” she stressed.

Rubina Khalid also criticized the provincial government, saying that adequate measures to provide relief to the victims were not visible at the provincial level. She alleged that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had completely failed to ease the people’s hardships, leaving victims with nothing but disappointment. She maintained that had the provincial government fulfilled its responsibilities seriously, the suffering of the people could have been reduced.