After playing havoc with catchment areas of Indus near Guddu, high flood was gushing towards Sukkur where the water inflow is 110,000 cusecs and the death toll in the floods has so far reached 1203. This was stated by State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sumsam Bukhari at a press conference on Monday.
He said things will go from bad to worse as second high level flood was passing through Chashma where the inflow was recorded 750,000 cusecs which was increasing gradually. The minister said the Prime Minister was himself visiting the flood-hit areas of Multan and Muzaffargarh and monitoring the rescue and relief operations. The Prime Minister has also set up Prime Minister's Flood Relief Fund 2010. The masses could generously contribute to the A/C No 898989, National Bank of Pakistan. In addition, the Prime Minister has also directed all Pakistani missions aboard to arrange fund raising campaigns for the rehabilitation of flood victims.
He said federal government was meeting the demands of all the provinces. On their demand, the government has supplied substantial number of tents and food items. He said 47 rescue helicopters and 583 Navy boats are taking part in rescue and relief operation and shifted 278,195 people to safer places.
Meanwhile, the European Commission has announced a 30 million euros for the flood victims. The Nato has also tasked Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Co-ordination Centre to provide transport facilities in the flood-affected areas.
To another question, the minister clarified that the government has no intention to ban private TV channels. He said the government always supported the freedom of expression and condemned action against it. "The business tussle between the two cable operators in Karachi has caused the closure of telecast of two private TV channels," he said.
He maintained that there was no truth in throwing away shoe at President Asif Ali Zardari during his address at Birmingham as reported in the media. He challenged that if such incident had taken place, media must come up with any picture or video clip.
Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) Chairman Malik Mushtaq also clarified that Pemra was not behind the closure of private TV channels telecast in Karachi. To another question, he alleged that electronic media was not following the prescribed and committed code of conduct. But, he said, Pemra appreciates some TV anchors' self-regulatory initiative to discourage videos of extremism and terror acts.