Bilawal demands govt to seek international aid for flood victims

PPP urges NA action on flood, agriculture emergency

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday demanded the government to seek aid from international donors and countries for flood victims in line with the UN mechanisms.
“…the delay by the government to initiate their international appeal for assistance through UN mechanisms is beyond comprehension,” Bilawal wrote in a post on X.
He said it was a standard practice for disasters of this scale internationally. It was done for the last floods when he was foreign minister, before that during the 2010 floods and the 2005 earthquake as well, he maintained. “Countries all over the world do the same within the first 72 hours of such disasters,” he asserted, adding there was no excuse to deprive the millions flood affected people from this assistance.
“We demand the government initiate this process immediately.”
The PPP chairman also said that his party would be presenting resolutions in all provincial assemblies, the National Assembly and Senate of Pakistan in line with the above.
Meanwhile, he also welcomed the federal government decision to announce climate and agricultural emergency following the PPPs demand.
However, the federal government has still not announce relief through the Benazir Income Support Programme for flood impacted districts especially Gilgit Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and especially south Punjab. “This is despite PM Shehbaz Sharif having told me personally it would be done,” he said.
Bilawal also said following his visits to flood impacted areas of central Punjab, south Punjab and Sindh, he had had meetings with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and the provincial agriculture minister on what can be done at a provincial level to support the agricultural community given it was the most devastated sector.
“We look forward to support from the federal government as well on these initiatives,” he added.

PPP submits resolution in NA
Meanwhile, the PPP has submitted a resolution in the National Assembly after the Senate, calling for action on the flood and agricultural emergency.

PPP Central Spokesperson Shazia Marri tabled the resolution in the National Assembly on the instructions of PPP Chairman Bilawal.

According to the resolution, over 1,000 people have lost their lives, 5.8 million have been affected, and 4 million displaced due to the floods. It further stated that 60% of rice, 35% of cotton, and 30% of sugarcane crops in Punjab have been destroyed, while 1.3 million acres of farmland have submerged under eastern rivers, severely impacting the Kharif crop.

The resolution emphasised the urgent need for a national and international relief response, demanded the waiver of electricity bills in affected areas, and called for immediate cash transfers through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).

It also appealed for the provision of medicines and healthcare facilities to flood-hit areas, urged the government to launch an international flash appeal through the United Nations, and stressed that Pakistan is entitled to global aid under the principle of climate justice.