PESHAWAR
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chital chapter on Tuesday appealed to the federal government for supporting the relief and rehabilitation of the people and infrastructure in flood-hit areas of Lower and Upper Chitral districts.
Addressing a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club (PPC), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) PPP council members Sarfraz Shah and Niaz Ahmed appealed to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Chairman Bilawal Bhutto to take serious notice of devastation caused by rains and floods in upper and lower Chitral, adding that a number of people killed and thousands rendered homeless in both districts.
Sarfraz Shah said that the federal government should take pragmatic relief and rehabilitation measures in the flood affected areas as thousands of families were waiting for government assistance.
“14 people have lost their lives due to rains in both districts of the province in the last few days. The floods have destroyed houses, business infrastructures and large scale agricultural land, properties, communication roads, bridges and irrigation systems have been destroyed,” he stated.
Sarfraz Shah claimed that valleys including Yarkhun, Harchin, Mastuj, Bonny, Turku, Resion and Garam Chashma, Avon, Darosh, Madak Lisht (Sheshikoh) have suffered due to recent rains and floods in the upper and lower Chitral.
Leaders of PPP criticized the provincial government of KP for turning deaf ears towards the calamity-hit people of Chitral, adding that relief activities have been delayed which increased the owes of local communities manifolds. Many links roads in different areas were still in dilapidated conditions, he added.
Sarfraz Shah and Niaz Ahmed lamented over the relief operations of the provincial government and demanded that instead of tall claims relief work should be expanded to all people as early as possible.
The people of Chitral voted PTI in the last elections for change but the party leadership in upper and lower Chitral did not deliver and left the people of two districts helpless in floods and heavy rains.
PPP Chitral chapter leaders made an appeal to its party chairman and Prime Minister to announce a major financial relief for the affected people of Chitral and also order the departments concerned to initiate rehabilitation activities across Chitral.
The federal government should immediately conduct a large survey of the damages caused by heavy rains and floods in different areas and compensate affected families as early as possible, they stated.
