KARACHI – Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has maintained that all government departments, both federal and provincial, are effectively working in the areas hit by floods in Sindh. However, he said with certainty that people in some areas of the province suffered because they had refused to leave their areas as advised by the authorities concerned.
Briefing the media at Chief Minister House here on Sunday after presiding over a special meeting of Sindh Cabinet which was also attended by President Asif Zardari, Gilani said the people, unfortunately, in Sindh suffered because of their own decisions, not to leave their homes.
The PM while responding to a question said he had already spoken on the floor of the National Assembly on this subject, and he has now reiterated in the Sindh cabinet that inquiry should be held with respect to breaches which either occurred or made, resulting in huge damage to property.
He said the flood has not as yet ended in Sindh and once things were settled down after floodwater recedes, the rehabilitation work would be started.
He said he had summoned Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting in Islamabad on Monday (today) to evolve methodology for distributing aid to the affected provinces. Chief ministers of all provinces would attend the meeting, which would decide about rehabilitation work and distribution of aid money, he added.
The Prime Minister called for concerted efforts to help mitigate problems of the flood affectees. He also laid emphasis on the maintenance of law and order situation.
Sources concerned said that the Sindh Irrigation Department officials briefed President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani about the damage and devastation caused by the floods in the province.
The irrigation officials contradicted the ground realities and informed the participants of the meeting that no levee has been breached deliberately.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah presented a roadmap for the rehabilitation of flood victims besides giving a detailed briefing on the post-flood situation in Sindh.
Earlier, soon after his arrival in the city, the PM held a meeting with Sindh Governor Ishratul Ebad Khan, at the Governor House. Sindh CM Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Federal Ministers Qamar Zaman Kaira, Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Syed Naveed Qamar were also present on the occasion. According to official sources, flood situation and relief and rehabilitation measures were discussed in the meeting.