‘Sindh govt failed to take precautions over potential storm in Ibrahim Hyderi’

Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh on Sunday visited the coastal area of Ibrahim Hyderi to check the Sindh government’s preparedness ahead of the potential cyclonic storm and criticised the provincial government for failing to taking preventive measures on the ground.

“The Sindh government has only been making announcements about the cyclone and did not take any preventive measures to confront calamity on the ground,” said Sheikh, who is also the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) central vice-president. “We hope that only Allah will save our coastal areas from destruction.”

Deploring the worst condition of the jetty of Ibrahim Hyderi and the situation of the fishermen living in the ‘neglected locality’, he said the Sindh government had yet to take the required steps in this locality. “Only notifications are issued but the relief camps are yet to be set up. The preparation of the Sindh government is limited to just announcing names of in-charge ministers,” the PTI leader remarked.

He said the federal ministry of maritime affairs was stopping the fishermen from venturing into the sea because of the threat of the cyclone and the federal government and the National Disaster Management Authority was ready to play its due role.

“Arrangements should also be made for the possible shifting of people from the vulnerable localities such as Ibrahim Hyderi,” he said. Sheikh added that when the fishermen were banned from entering the sea, they should be given some alternative financial support. “The provincial fisheries department has the record of fishers and the Sindh government should provide assistance to the local fishermen.”

He asked the civil society and philanthropists to come forward for assisting the fishermen. He alleged that the Sindh government had also committed corruption in the cleaning of storm drains and nullahs in Karachi. “Gutters are overflowing in every town of Sindh and the local government department has done nothing to resolve the severe problem of sewage.” PTI leaders Adnan Ismail, Aijaz Swati, Gohar Khattak, Jameelan Baloch, Abdul Razaq Shujra, and others also accompanied Sheikh.