PPP assails Punjab govt over rain-related devastation in Rawalpindi

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Central Information Secretary Nadeem Afzal Chan yesterday strongly criticised the Punjab administration over what he described as its failure to prevent and respond effectively to rain-related devastation in Rawalpindi, saying the situation had exposed serious shortcomings.

Key points

• He remarked floodwater entered warehouses in Raja Bazaar, causing losses reportedly running into hundreds of millions of rupees for traders.
• He remarked the absence of effective arrangements for rainwater drainage was a clear manifestation of administration incompetence and pressed immediate measures to assist affected citizens and businesses.
• He pressed the authorities to take immediate steps to drain accumulated water, protect affected communities and provide relief to those who had suffered losses.

Reacting to the damage caused by heavy rainfall in the city, Chan remarked the flooding had severely affected homes, businesses and commercial areas, leaving citizens and traders facing substantial financial losses. He remarked the situation in Rawalpindi had raised serious questions concerning the Punjab government's performance, particularly its preparedness for heavy rainfall and its ability to ensure effective drainage and protect citizens and their property.

Referring to Raja Bazaar, Chan remarked millions of rupees had been spent on turning the major commercial area into a "model bazaar" and organising what he termed publicity-oriented programmes, but a single spell of rain had exposed the shortcomings behind such claims. He remarked floodwater entered warehouses in Raja Bazaar, causing losses reportedly running into hundreds of millions of rupees for traders. "The government is asleep while people are being forced to watch their hard-earned savings and livelihoods drown, " Chan remarked, demanding that the authorities explain who would bear responsibility for the losses suffered by Rawalpindi's traders.

He remarked the absence of effective arrangements for rainwater drainage was a clear manifestation of administration incompetence and pressed immediate measures to assist affected citizens and businesses. Chan criticised the provincial administration for what he described as remaining a "silent spectator" instead of providing relief to residents facing difficulties, stressing that citizens whose homes and businesses had been inundated needed urgent assistance.

He pressed the authorities to take immediate steps to drain accumulated water, protect affected communities and provide relief to those who had suffered losses. "Instead of announcements and publicity, the government should take practical measures and provide immediate relief to the affected people, " he remarked. A.

Taken together, the developments around PPP assails Punjab govt over rain-related devastation in Rawalpindi point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.