Six months on, #flood victims still wait for elusive govt #help, says SUP chief

#DADU: The Sindh United Party president Syed Zain Shah has said that flood survivors are still waiting for elusive government help for the rehabilitation of their houses even after half a year to the deluge, and draining of stagnant floodwaters from their areas while billion of rupees have already been embezzled in their name.

Shah flanked by #Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Liaquat Ali Jatoi was addressing a press conference in Mehar town on Wednesday. Earlier, he led Sukkur-Karachi foot march which reached the town after passing through #Larkana and several towns en route.

He said the march was aimed at highlighting Pakistan Peoples Party’s corruption and bad governance. Pakistan would not survive for long if the corrupt who had looted the country would be facilitated. The corrupt and the incompetent would have to be removed to build a strong and developed country, he said.

He said the election was rigged and results were changed. The amount of corruption made over the past 15 years was much more than the entire corruption committed in 75-year history of Pakistan, he said.

He said that Sindh chief minister had approved illegal construction of four canals and consented to diversion of Indus river. Since distribution of water was a joint decision, #Sindh government could not be absolved of the responsibility. After having looted the province for 15 years, they were now slicing up lands and selling them away, he said.

PTI leader Liaquat Ali Jatoi told the press conference that amid this situation, education and health were a far cry while people were only worried about having two meals a day.

He said quoting a survey that #Sindh ranked the first in corruption and education department had been declared the most corrupt. The condition of CNIC for being counted in census had been done away with, he said.

Earlier, when the march reached Mehar from #Larkana, Shah addressed the gathering and said the Sindh government had destroyed the province and time had arrived to get rid of #Zardari mafia.

He said that massive corruption had been committed in Sindh and peoples’ issues had not been resolved. The corrupt mafia paid attention only to amassing ill-gotten money leaving people to go without basic amenities, he said.

He said that law and order conditions had worsened across the province and crime rate had increased because of bad governance. People were committing suicide due to poverty but rulers cared less, he said.

He said that flood survivors were still waiting for elusive government help for the rehabilitation of their houses. Stagnant floodwaters had caused widespread damage in K.N. Shah but no government department had done anything to drain it out though billions of rupees had been embezzled in flood victims’ name, he said.

He said that victims were falling prey to hunger and diseases but health department failed to provide them help in flood-hit areas. The government was selling away pricy land along Super Highway at throwaway price, he said.

Published in Dawn, February 23th, 2023