Special Assistant to Prime Minister and Paksitan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Attaullah Tarar has criticised Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday for staging political gatherings while one-third area of the country had been affected by severe floods. Addressing a press conference in Lahore, he said the Punjab government was not interested in solving problems of the flood victims. The Punjab chief minister did not visit affected areas to express solidarity with the distressed people, he added.
He appealed to all political parties to avoid doing politics over floods and join hands for the relief and rehabilitation of the victims. The federal government and the departments concerned were fully engaged in relief activities, he added.
He said the floods played havoc in the country as Pakistan was among the countries worst hit by climate change. He thanked the friendly countries for extending support to Pakistan including the UAE, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and others.
He said the agreements signed by the outgoing PTI government was responsible for inflation in the country. He said a recent report released by the IMF held responsible the PTI government for the real factor behind current economic challenges in the country.
Attaullah Tarar said the incumbent government did not believe in politics of victimization; however, no one could be allowed to malign the institutions. To a query, he said the federal coalition government was utilising all resources for flood victims and the government would not sit until every flood affectee was completely rehabilitated.
To another question, he said that a control room had been set up at National Disaster Management Authority which was making estimates of losses occurring due to floods and every possible compensation would be offered for complete restoration of the affected areas.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety and Information Secretary of PPP Shazia Atta Marri lashed out at Imran Khan for holding musical ‘concerts’ in such a disaster situation of floods and rains. She said that the people of Pakistan were suffering and facing difficulties due to floods and unprecedented rains but the former prime minister Imran Khan was busy in holding “concerts” in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. “It was highly regrettable act and there is no word of humanity in Imran Khan’s dictionary and the Chairman of PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was rightly suggested that Imran Khan should first become a human being then become a politician”, she added.
She further said that recent heavy monsoon rains and flash floods have washed away the happiness and prosperity of the poor peoples and more than thirty million Pakistanis have been severely affected and displaced due to these rains and floods.
She said that Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari collected financial assistance of 1 trillion 33 billion rupees for rain and flood affected areas while delegations from the United Nations and the United States of America are visiting to Pakistan for helping the flood victims.
