PTI govt slammed for not helping flood-hit Chitral

PESHAWAR: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) provincial council members on Tuesday asked the federal and provincial governments to announce forthwith a relief package for the two districts of Chital devastated by flash floods.

Speaking at a news conference Sarfaraz Shah and Niaz Ahmed expressed concern over the devastation in Upper and Lower Chitral districts and asked the governments to take notice of the situation. They said that 14 lives had been lost to floods in two districts of Chitral in the past few days.

Similarly, they said, the flood and rains have destroyed agricultural lands and crops, property, roads, bridges and irrigation channels.

The PPP leader said the affected areas included Yarkhoon Valley, Harchin, Mastoj, Booni, Torkhow, Reshan and Garam Chashma in Lower Chitral district, Chitral Town suburbs, Kalash valley, Ayun Darosh, Madak Lasht (Sheshikoh) and other suburban areas. They said roads, canals and people’s houses have been damaged in some places while plants in several places. The PPP leaders were critical of the attitude of the provincial government towards the flood affectees.

They alleged that the relief activities in the affected areas were launched late. Roads at several points in Upper Chitral and Lower Chitral have not been restored for traffic even after a week.