PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government sought Rs10 billion aid from federal government for relief and rehabilitation activities in the flood-hit areas of the province.
“The government immediately requires Rs10 to Rs25 billion for relief and rehabilitation work,” said Provincial Minister for Information Mian Iftikhar Hussain while addressing a press conference here Saturday.
He said that reconstruction and rehabilitation cost might exceed Rs2 trillion, but for immediate relief activities and rehabilitation work the provincial needed Rs10 billion from the centre. He urged federal government to show generosity and assist millions of destitute people badly affected by the floods.
He said that government would pay Rs25,000 to each affected family for repair work of damaged houses while those families who had lost their relatives in the floods would be paid Rs300,000 each.
He said that the province faced serious financial crises.“We need assistance from the federal government and international community,” said Mr Hussain, adding that provincial government would negotiate with foreign donors within the framework of the constitution.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, he said, would not directly seek help from donors.
The minister expressed satisfaction over the all parties’ conference hosted by the provincial government to take all mainstream political parties into confidence about the prevailing situation and also seek their guidance regarding relief and rehabilitation activities.
Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti chaired the conference. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Jamaat-i-Islami, Pakistan Tehrik Insaf, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl and Pakhtunkhwa Mili Awami Party leaders attended the conference. Pakistan People’s Party-Sherpao and Pakistan Muslim League boycotted the event.
Interestingly opposition leader in the provincial assembly and JUI-F parliamentary leader Akram Khan Durrani had also announced boycott of the conference, but his party provincial chief Maulana Amanullah was present in the APC.
Officials of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority briefed politicians of the meeting about the losses caused by the floods and relief operation being carried out in different areas of the province.
The conference decided that there would be no politics on the natural calamity and political forces would focus attention on relief and rehabilitation activities.
Mr Hussain appreciated goodwill gesture of the political parties and said that there was no room for politics at this critical moment. “It has been decided that ruling parties and other political forces will not capitalise on the disaster,” he said, adding that political leadership had decided to show unity to resolve masses problems.
He said that political parties criticised the government’s relief activities and also gave recommendations and suggestions for fair distribution of relief assistance among the affected people. “The government welcomes positive criticism and will take help from political forces,” he said.
He said that APC had suggested expediting work on roads in Kohistan and Malakand division to provide access to the stranded population.
He said that water purification plants would be installed in the affected areas while tubewells would also be repaired to ensure provision of clean drinking water.
He said that some elements were trying to create an impression as if the army was a separate entity apart from the government. “Such impression is not in the country’ interest,” he said, adding that on the directives of the government the armed forces had launched relief activities.
He said that army was national institution and it was fulfilling its responsibility like other state entities. He said that government appreciated role of the army, navy and air force and urged commentators not to consider the army as separate institution.
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