Gilani-Nawaz idea finds few takers

ISLAMABAD: A new phase of reconciliation between the two main political parties of the country in the aftermath of floods did not last even a week.

Ignoring an agreement Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and PML-N chief Mian Nawaz Sharif had reached last week to set up an independent commission to oversee and monitor relief work and utilisation of aid, a high-level government meeting on Thursday decided to set up what is being described here as a ‘toothless’ National Oversight Disaster Management Council (NODMC) comprising representatives of the four provinces.

Although the two leaders had agreed to set up a commission comprising ‘men of integrity’ to ensure transparency in collection, management and distribution of flood relief funds, the proposed council will mere have the role of overseeing the funds.

The government said: “The NODMC will not only ensure transparency in utilisation of relief funds, it will also go ahead with implementation of the reformed general sales tax on October 1.”

The names proposed by the PML-N chief for the commission are not included in the NODMC.

The names mentioned by the two leaders in their press conference included those of Justice Rana Bhagwandas, Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid and Justice Fakhruddin G. Ibrahim.

The meeting decided a new formula for forming the council. “The provinces will name the members who could be nine to 13 and will be from the private sector. The council will be formed in a few days”, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira told reporters after the meeting.

The decision led to a new round of recriminations between the two main parties. PML-N members told Dawn that Mr Sharif had called Prime Minister Gilani before the start of the NDMC meeting to protest against lack of progress on the promise made at the join news conference.

He was told by the prime minister that he had to take on board all stakeholders who did not agree to the idea.

Apparently this argument did not go down well with Mr Sharif who said he was present when the prime minister made telephone calls to ANP chief Asfandyar Wali and Farooq Sattar of the MQM before the press conference to get their approval.

No wonder then that the PML-N announced on Thursday its own committee — ‘Coordination Committee for Flood Relief’ — comprising two members from each province, Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK to evolve a mechanism to manage and distribute relief goods and ensure coordinated efforts for rehabilitation of the flood-affected people.

The meeting presided over by the prime minister was attended by the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, three services chiefs, governors and chief ministers of the four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan CM, AJK prime minister and federal ministers.

The information minister claimed that Rs1.580 billion had been deposited in the prime minister’s relief fund. The amount, however, did not include donations given by various departments and those collected by embassies.

The meeting decided that as a preliminary relief, each flood-affected family would be given Rs20,000 from an amount of Rs40 billion to be pooled by the federal and provincial governments.

The damage and needs assessment would be carried out by the provinces while the World Bank and ADB would supervise and facilitate the process.