Punjab wants CCI to discuss flood funds

LAHORE: Punjab has requisitioned a meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) to seek details of flood relief funds and fix the share of each province, while Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Nawaz Sharif has asked the federal government not to bypass the provinces in distribution of the funds.

“Don’t bypass the provinces as the move entails dangerous repercussions,” Mr Sharif warned while briefing the media here on Friday after a two-day meeting of the party and provincial administration on rehabilitation of the flood-affected people.

He said such a move would be against the 18th Amendment that guaranteed provincial autonomy. In reply to a question about a recent statement by Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain, the former prime minister said the previous eight-year martial law had been of no benefit to the nation.

“What did it give except a fragile economy, poverty, desecration of the Constitution, arrest of judges, a wave of terrorism which is getting out of control today and thousands of missing people. Does Altaf Hussain want a return of all that?” Mr Sharif said he had warned months ago that some actions of the government could endanger democracy, but neither martial law could end corruption nor failure of a government could be declared as the failure of democracy.

He said he had visited flood-affected area in various provinces and in his opinion rebuilding shelters was the biggest and most immediate requirement.

He said each affected family needed at least Rs100,000 for the purpose and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani should arrange payment of a part of the amount before Eidul Fitr.

The PML-N chief regretted that his proposal to set up a commission to oversee relief work had not been supported by the federal government.

He said joint efforts by the government and the opposition could have given a positive message of national unity to the world, motivating it to donate more for the cause. They would also have covered up the government’s lapses in the earlier phase of the calamity.

He said the PML-N had avoided politicking on floods, although its opponents had described his visits to affected areas as ‘photo sessions’.

He said that a meeting of the National Disaster Management Authority held last week had decided all relief and rehabilitation work would be carried out in coordination with the provinces, but the federal government had not yet consulted Punjab.

The PML-N chief demanded a judicial commission to probe allegations of breaches made in embankments to save land of influential people. “Those found involved in the heinous crime should be given exemplary punishment.”

Replying to a question, he said transparent governance could have attracted more donations. Donors would hesitate to hand over cash to people facing corruption charges, he added.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said he had written to the prime minister to convene a meeting of the CCI so that details of donations could be shared with the provinces and a formula devised to distribute the funds among them in proportion to their losses.

“We should be taken into confidence on the volume of the donations and the formula for their distribution among the provinces,” he said.

The chief minister expressed reservations over the reported move of the federal government to directly provide relief to the affected people.

In reply to a question, he said he had talked to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Amir Haider Hoti who had agreed that the aid should be disbursed through the provinces.

The Punjab chief minister said it had been unanimously decided on Aug 19 that each affected family would be immediately paid Rs20,000 to help them rebuild their homes and buy essential goods. He said the federal and provincial governments had to contribute equally to the amount.

Modalities for implementing the decision were to be finalised at a meeting of finance managers on Aug 20, but federal Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh left for Washington.

The chief minister also said that bypassing the provinces in disbursing aid would be a violation of laws.

He said the federal government should pay at least Rs100,000 to each affected family, Rs20,000 of it immediately.

Answering a question, he said it had been decided that the provincial social welfare department would conduct a survey to assess the losses with the help of headmasters of schools, numberdars of villages, members of youth councils comprising volunteer students and junior commissioned officers of the army.