NDMA accused of failing flood victims

HYDERABAD:

The leadership of Awami Tehreek has strongly condemned the federal and provincial governments for their failure to protect citizens during recent heavy rains in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, where over 300 people have lost their lives.

In a joint statement, Awami Tehreek’s central president Advocate Rasool Bux Palijo, central general secretary Advocate Sajid Hussain Mahesar, vice president Sattar Rind, senior leaders Advocate Ismail Khaskheli, Mir Basheer Talpur, and Noor Nabi Palijo expressed grief and outrage over the loss of lives. They held the government responsible for the large-scale human tragedy, accusing it of failing to provide timely rescue operations and accurate information to the public.

The leaders alleged that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has “swallowed trillions of rupees in the name of natural disasters” but did little to rescue or rehabilitate the victims. “NDMA has limited itself to merely counting the dead instead of providing real assistance,” the statement read.

They further warned that Sindh is also expected to face heavy rains, yet neither the Sindh government nor the Provincial or National Disaster Management Authorities (PDMA/NDMA) have made adequate preparations. “If the governments had prioritized saving lives over making money out of disasters, people would have been spared such enormous human and financial losses,” the leaders said.