KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh has expressed grave concerns over the post-rains situation in Sindh, saying many areas in Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, and Shaheed Benazirabad divisions are still inundated.
Addressing a press conference, he said in coastal regions like Thatta, Badin high winds have demolished homes, and many villages in Sujawal are under water. The continuous rise in the Indus River’s water level has worsened the situation, with the floodwaters breaching the Indus Highway and cutting off over 70 villages in Dadu and Sehwan from urban centres.
Sheikh pointed out that while Dadu, the constituency of Sindh’s Chief Minister, remains flooded, the CM has not visited the area. Referring to last year’s floods, he said the Sindh government had announced the construction of 2 million homes, but only a fraction of the affected people received any help.
He accused the Sindh government’s focal persons of engaging in mere photo sessions without providing essential relief supplies like food or tents and medical aid.
Sheikh criticised the provincial government for neglecting essential infrastructure, stating that Karachi’s infrastructure has been completely destroyed by the recent rains. Roads and streets across the city are in ruins, with large potholes everywhere, and the sewerage system is entirely dysfunctional, exacerbating the crisis.
He accused rulers of turning rain, which is supposed to be a blessing, into a curse. He alleged that the Sindh government appointed focal persons for the sole purpose of misappropriating emergency funds. He said Karachi’s three major storm drains, Korangi Nullah, Gujjar Nullah, and Mehmoodabad Mullah are clogged with garbage.
However, PTI Karachi Division General Secretary Arsalan Khalid said that the Sindh government has failed to deliver, as stagnant water is still present in several areas of the megacity.
PTI Parliamentary Leader MPA Shabbir Qureshi said that the PPP is troubled by PTI’s growing influence in Sindh’s interior. He claimed that despite a massive budget, the provincial government’s relief efforts in rain-affected areas are non-existent.