The Advisor to Sindh Chief Minister for Information Sharmila Farooqui has said that Sindh government was very keen and actively working for the rehabilitation of flood affected people as such Sindh was the only province which presented a complete and comprehensive rehabilitation plan in the session of Pakistan Development Forum (PDF) recently held in Islamabad.
She said that this complete rehabilitation plan is about to be implemented for which donor agencies and friendly countries were extending their help in addition to utilisation of our own resources. She said that the flood losses received by Sindh province have been estimated upto Rs 450 billion which include losses of private properties upto 286 billion, government infrastructure upto Rs 77 billion in addition to the losses of livestock and standing crops in the field and added that this huge loss cannot be compensated by Sindh government itself as such the help from the donor agencies and friendly countries is essentially needed in rebuilding the damaged public and private infrastructure of the province.
This she said while addressing a press conference at Circuit House Annexe Hyderabad on Monday. Lauding the efforts made by PPP government for relief and rehabilitation of flood affected people, Sharmila said that it was the vision of President Asif Ali Zardari that Watan Cards have been started issuing to the flood affected family heads. She said that total 4,74,244 flood affected family heads were notified for issuance of Watan Cards and the cases of 4,05,444 family heads had been got processed while Watan Cards so far have been issued to 3,85,094 flood affected families. She informed that the cases of 20,000 flood affected family heads have been rejected because of impersonation, duplication and other reasons in Hyderabad District. She informed that 23,018 Watan Cards have been issued.
She also appreciated the services of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah for prompt relief and rescue measures during the passage of un-precedent flood in the River Indus and added that he took no sigh of relief till dropping of flood water into sea right from Guddu to 0 point.
She said that PPP believes in the development of the country, prosperity of the nation and strengthening of institution. It believes in justice and had rendered matchless sacrifices for the democracy and independent judiciary. She said that it was because of the sacrifices of PPP leaders / workers that today we have independent judiciary and we also expect justice from independent judiciary. While talking about the war on terror, Sharmila Farooqui said that Pakistan is not the terrorist country but the land of brave nation of the world which engaged in the meeting the great challenges of war against terror and rehabilitation after flood disaster.