There is no need to establish Flood Relief Commission, said National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) here on Wednesday in a written reply submitted in the Lahore High Court (LHC). NDMA's director administration Muhammad Bilal stated in the reply to a petition filed by Muhammad Ashraf Gondal for establishment of a trustworthy independent flood relief commission in order to carry out rehabilitation work in the flood-hit areas.
The reply insisted that the NDMA had been rendering all out support from within available resources at the disposal of government to all flood affected persons without any discrimination. It said the NDMA was established in order to serve as focal point and a co-ordinating body to facilitate implementation of disaster management strategies.
The court was further informed that there was no progress regarding establishment of National Oversight Disaster Management Council (NODMC), which was announced by Prime Minister in the meeting of National Management Commission held at PM Secretariat Islamabad with chief ministers of all provinces.
The chief ministers were asked to propose two persons for the commission, which they did not do yet, however, now NDMA was doing the needful and no such body was needed any more, the reply added. A deputy attorney general, Muhammad Ashraf Khan pleaded that the petition was not maintainable because the petitioner was not affected of floods so he had locus standi to agitate the matter in the court.
Petitioner counsel, however, argued that being citizen of Pakistan had every right to move the court on the national issues. The counsel also rejected the NDMA's reply saying it had submitted a stereotype reply showing that "all is good and all will be good and nothing new is needed to be done in the country." At this stage LHC Chief Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif observed, "people across the country are facing huge losses due to floods whereas all concerned departments are playing with words instead of doing any practical."
CJ adjourned hearing to next date of hearing to be fixed by the court office and handed over the copy NDMA's written reply to petitioner's counsel when he sought time to file his rejoinder in this regard.
Petitioner had contended that around two billion people were affected by the floods in Pakistan leaving their animals and crops ruined and they themselves were living under open sky. He said the flood-hit people desperately needed help of the government but regretfully only Pak Army and some independent organisations were carrying out relief work in devastated areas.
Petitioner said PML-N leader Mian Nawaz Sharif met Prime Minister (PM) and proposed that a trust worthy flood relief commission should be constituted and the PM expressed his consent but despite the lapse of many days no action had been taken in this regard. And lives of the flood-hit people were in grave danger due to diseases and lack of food etc, Gondal added. He prayed that the authorities concerned be directed to constitute a trust worthy independent flood relief commission, which would attract donors for the help of flood-hit people.
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