Governor urges nation to help flood victims

LAHORE:Governor Muhammad Balighur Rehman said that the whole nation should help the flood-affected brothers and sisters in distress.

We are grateful to all of the friendly countries for the goodwill as they are sending aid to the flood victims, the governor said and added that at this time the flood victims need clothes, food, tents and other items.

He said the federal government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif along with Pakistan Army, Navy, Air Force and NDMA is engaged in relief activities in all the provinces. He appealed to the Commonwealth delegation for all possible assistance to the flood victims for providing food, tents, mosquito nets and blankets and other essential items.

The governor said as a chancellor he mobilised the universities to collect relief goods for the flood victims as well as participating in relief activities by going to the flood affected areas. The governor talking about business activities said that Pakistan has vast investment opportunities in various sectors including IT. He said that Pakistanis living all over the world are ambassadors of the country and ‘we all have to work together for the development of the country’.

Speaking on the occasion, Senator Kamran Michael said that he and the ministers are going to visit European countries next month regarding GSP plus status, in which the stance of Pakistan will be highlighted and reservations of the world in this regard will be addressed.

President of Commonwealth Entrepreneur (Business) Club Mubeen Rafiq said that the world is ready to invest in Pakistan, but the government should provide favourable business environment and better facilities for foreign investors. In the delegation, industrialist Safdar Shabbir, former IG and DG FIA Zafar Abbas Lak, Mian Ijaz, Mirza Amir Baig, Naeem Qaiser and Fauzia Ghori were present. In the end, the governor gave commemorative shields to the delegation.

UVAS relief teams sent to flood affected areas: The University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) on Monday sent three flood relief volunteer teams to the flood affected areas including Karor Lal Eason Layyah, Rojhan and Charsadda.

The teams will provide relief items related to shelter, kitchen unit, medicines and hygienic food like dry ration/feed of animals, seed packet as well as veterinary services to the livestock farming community.

Before the departure of the volunteers, UVAS arranged a ceremony. Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) Chairman Prof Dr Shahid Munir chaired the ceremony while Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Nasim Ahmad, Convener UVAS Flood Relief Management Committee Prof Dr Muhammad Ijaz and deans, directors, chairmen/chairpersons, from different departments, flood relief management committee members, UVAS flood relief volunteer teams members and faculty members were present.

Addressing the audience, Prof Dr Shahid Munir said that global warming was the real cause of melting of glaciers and heavy flood in our country and for this purpose it was direly needed to establish Kalabagh Dam for saving and conservation of water.

Prof Dr Nasim Ahmad said that UVAS collected fifteen million rupees so far under UVAS Flood Relief & Assistance Campaign 2022. He said livestock was the only source of livelihood for the majority of rural population and this year due to destruction by heavy floods, the livestock farming community was facing economic losses. He called more and more donation for flood-hit areas of Sindh and Balochistan.

Earlier, Prof Dr Muhammad Ijaz gave a detailed presentation on UVAS initiatives in various disaster relief activities, flood relief camps and assistance activities (advisory meetings, donors conference, VC’s visit to flood affected areas, fundraising, collection of goods, packing, etc.