Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) Parliamentary Leader, Makhdoom Syed Faisal Salah Hayat has urged the government to designate Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani as head of the relief effort for flood affected areas.
Hayat stated this while exclusively talking to Business Recorder on Wednesday. He said that international community and donor agencies were hesitating giving aid for flood affectees because they have concerns of corruption and poor governance. He said that army is the only credible institution and international community could trust it.
He said that foreign countries and international donor agencies are hesitating giving relief assistance to the government because it has lost its credibility during the past two and half years. He said that the army has the ability to perform relief activities effectively and efficiently. The government should hand over this task to the army, he said.
The PML-Q leader said that foreign countries including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, China, America, Cuba and others had extended considerable financial support to Pakistan in the aftermath of the 2005 earthquake. Pakistan at that time acquired $6.5 billion for the quake-affected people.
"Now at this time, the government has failed to mobilise the people and to convince the international community to provide assistance on the scale required," he claimed. He urged the government to take all political forces on board and create a consensus in the country. This would be critical in mobilising the entire nation to face this big challenge and to come forward to provide relief to the people. He said that more than 6 million people have so far been affected by this natural calamity.
While criticising President Asif Ali Zardari, he asked: what message are we giving to the international community by going abroad at this time. He added that the foreign media wanted to visit Pakistan to cover the floods while our President wanted to go out of the country. Answering a question, he said that PML-Q is compiling a report on various flood affected areas. He said that PML-Q members are sending various reports about flood affected areas to their party. The PML-Q would present this report in the forthcoming session of the National Assembly and seek assistance from the government.
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) retired Lieutenant General Nadeem Ahmed also admitted in an exclusive interview to Business Recorder on August 06, 2010 that so far all rescue and relief operations are being carried out by the army and the federal government. He also said, "Let me be honest the army, the air force and the navy have been in the forefront of rescue operations." And, he maintained they are part of the federal government.