'Minorities being neglected in South Punjab'

08 Sep, 2010

Christians of Chak Nos 5, 6, 7 /4-L alleged that minorities were being neglected in South Punjab when the relief goods were distributed. Numberdar Peter Masih, a Christian leader said,"the government and local clerics refused to shelter around 500 flood-affected families belonging to the Christian community in South Punjab's relief camps".
The government also did not dispatch relief goods to the flood-hit areas belonging to the minorities like Hindus, Qadianis and Christian communities. During a visit to the devastated Punjab districts of Muzaffargarh, Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur, many Christians like Master Luminus, Albert Shehzad, Jalal Masih, Michael Masih, William Masih, and Sardar Masih said that our villages were cut off from rest of the country due to flood.
Their homes and other belongings washed away. Food was never dropped in these villages, they claimed.The DCO Muzaffargarh claimed that all relief goods were being distributed among survivors without discrimination. And that all survivors have been sheltered in relief camps without distinction. The flood-devastated families from the Ahmadiya community strongly criticised the government's "discriminatory attitude".
According to Ahmadiya community leaders, over 2,500 members of their community have been displaced and are now living with their relatives while some of them have left for Rabwah, the community's headquarters. Angry flood affected people staged a big demonstration in Khangarh and blocked the National Highway for four hours, resultantly long queues of vehicles including relief goods trucks were developed.
More than 600 residents of Umarpur, Manka Bhutta, Naching, Muhammadpur, Mochi Wala, Haji Morr, Mohsinpur Tarand, Hassan pur Katcha, Ghazanfar Garh, and Jaal Wala staged a demonstration and shouted slogans against the government and elected representatives for not lending ear to their hue and cry. Police also arrested six protestors. They were identified as Irshad Hussain, Muhammad Hussain, Rana Muhammad Aslam, Muhammad Bakhsh ,Mumtaz Shah and Usman Shah.

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