KARACHI (National Times) – Foreign Minister and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday said it was the government’s priority to first protect the people badly affected due to the unprecedented prolonged monsoon rains in 13 districts of Sindh and then rehabilitate them under a relief package.
“We cannot leave them under the open sky. The provincial government must mobilize all its resources to support the affected people by providing them tents, mosquito nets, drinking water, cooked and uncooked food, healthcare faculties, and vaccination of cattle.”
He issued the directives while presiding over a special meeting to review the losses and damages caused by heavy rains and the measures taken by the Sindh government here at the CM House.
The meeting was attended by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah, Administrator Karachi Murtaza Wahab chief secretary, Karachi commissioner, Provincial Disaster Management Authority director general and other high level officials.
Minister Jam Khan Shoro and commissioners of Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sukkur and Larkana attended the meeting through video link.
Bilawal said the heavy downpour had submerged thousands of villages and towns in the 13 districts of province.
“It has affected and rendered thousands of people homeless, therefore, their proper care is the responsibility of our government in Sindh,” he said and directed the chief minister to send the party assembly members to their constituencies for helping their people.
Syed Murad Ali Shah told the meeting that the heavy rains had claimed 166 lives and injured 573, while according to the livestock department, some 2,849 cattle were perished, 47,399 houses damaged, including 6,489 fully and 40,910 partially damaged, and standing crops over 810,683 acres washed away/damaged.
Likewise, he said, 1,002 kilometers of 256 roads with 18 bridges had been damaged by the heavy rains all over Sindh.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto assured the chief minister that he would talk to the prime minister to help the Sindh government. He directed the chief minister to keep him informed about the situation and the relief and rehabilitation work regularly.
