By Asim Shahzad
LAHORE: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has demanded an independent audit of the 2023 floods, accusing the government of mismanagement, delaying international aid appeals and failing to provide adequate relief to victims.
PPP Central Executive Committee member Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed, addressing a press conference at the Peoples Secretariat, Model Town, said the government first delayed declaring an emergency and then wasted the crucial first 72 hours before appealing for international help. “Even Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had initially said no appeal would be made. The result is that Punjab’s tehsils have been devastated by the Sutlej, Chenab and Ravi floods,” he said.
Chaudhry Manzoor warned that the damage is so vast that “even three Punjab budgets cannot cover the losses.” He said crops had been buried under four to five feet of sand, while the Sutlej crossed 3.5 lakh cusecs three times — the first such disaster in history. He demanded that victims be given direct cash assistance via BISP, and farmers compensated through Jagdambandi and Girdawari, instead of humiliating handouts.
The PPP leader also criticized the government for “dismantling food security institutions” by closing Pasco, utility stores and the Agricultural Bank. “These institutions worked during floods, yet they are being shut down,” he said.
PPP Central Punjab General Secretary Syed Hassan Murtaza termed the waiver of one month’s electricity bills for flood victims a “joke,” demanding at least six months’ relief. “Simply pulling people out of water is not rescue. The worst damage is to crops and livelihoods. Farmers don’t want charity — they want fair support,” he said.
Murtaza said Sindh had shown better flood management by clearing waterways and providing 2.1 million houses to victims, while Punjab lagged behind due to mismanagement. Highlighting Jhang’s devastation, he said sugarcane, maize and paddy had been completely destroyed, with nearly 70% of crops under water.
He also pointed out the sharp disparity in agricultural costs between Pakistan and India, stressing that the government must step up to support farmers: “The real problems of the affected are starting now. The state cannot abandon them.”
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