Prime Minister calls on international community to join hands in helping flood victims       
MIRPURKHAS, Sep 18 (APP): Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani again made a clarion call to the international community to join hands with Pakistan to help seven millionpeople of the Sindh province inundated by deluge in the months of August and September.“The magnitude of disaster is much beyond the capacity of Pakistan,” the Prime Minister said on Sunday while addressing stranded people in Naukot, Umerkot and Mirpurkhas, areas which are giving look of an ocean.The Prime Minister said the federal and provincial governments of PPP will not leave the people in lurch.The government will devote all resources for rescue in the first place and later on the rehabilitation of the affected people with dignity and honour, he added.
The Prime Minister announced that Rs. 20,000 will be paid to each household on priority basis so that they can restart their lives.
The Prime Minister appreciated the work of Prime Minister’s Flood Relief Committee comprising Senator Nayyar Bukhari, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf MNA, Nazar Muhammad Gondal, Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khurshid Shah, Qamar Zaman Kaira, which has geared up federal and provincial machinery measuring up to challenges of the disaster.
The Prime Minister said he would personally supervise the relief and rehabilitation work in the worst hit districts of Tharparkar, Umerkot,Badin, Sanghar and Mirpurkhas through the Flood Relief Committee.
In these districts there is heavy concentration of minorities, which along with women are PPP’s special constituencies, Gilani added.
The Prime Minister told the crowds at different places that they would continue to get ration bags, medicines and tents and other necessities of life till their comprehensive rehabilitation.
The Prime Minister said the army helicopters will be used to drop ration bags where road connectivity has become impossible due to water and the areas are practically cut off.
The Prime Minister said he was extremely saddened when he saw his brothers, sisters and children confronted with the aftermath of the natural disaster, but assured that the governments, both federal and provincial were with them.
“These are your governments and we are Prime Ministers and Chief Ministers because of you. We cannot tolerate this state of affairs to continue unabated, neither we will tolerate the neglect of administration in mitigating the sufferings of the affected people,” he added.
The Prime Minister visited the relief camps in Naukot, Umerkot and Mirpurkhas and distributed ration bags among the flood victims.
Setting aside protocol arrangements, the Prime Minister walked directly to the people and shared grief of women, children and the elderly.
The Prime Minister expressed his dissatisfaction over the performance of the Mirpurkhas and Sanghar administrations and directed them to put their house in order in consultation with their MNAs, MPAs and other notables of the districts.
It may be mentioned that the government has figured out arrangements for providing 50,000 ration bags on daily basis.
The Prime Minister directed the Ministry of Finance to release Rs. 1.53 billion immediately to cater to the requirements of immediate nature pertaining to the relief efforts.
During the visit, the Prime Minister was accompanied by Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Minister for Textile Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Advisor to PM Shahnaz Wazir Ali, Members of National Assembly,Managing Director Baitul Mal Zamurd Khan and officials of Sindh Government.