- Advertisement -
PESHAWAR, Sep 05 (APP):The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly met under the chairmanship of Speaker Babar Saleem Swati here Friday called for accelerated efforts to mitigate sufferings of floods victims in the province.
After the recitation of the Holy Quran, the Speaker said that due to an ongoing cabinet meeting, ministers were absent from the house. Therefore, the regular agenda was suspended, and a discussion on law and order and flood situation may be continued.
Opposition member Rishad Khan said that floods have severely affected Shangla, Buner, Swabi, Swat, and other districts. He said that 37 people died in Shangla alone where, roads are closed, water supply schemes are disrupted, and no government officer has yet reached the area.
He criticized the alleged “chit culture” of the administration and demanded release of compensation amount directly to flood victims.
In Bisham Shangla, he said there’s not even clean water available for tourists and called for a public health scheme that serves both locals and the tourism industry.
MPA Aiman Jaleel said there was no pre-planning to handle floods and criticized political point-scoring, urged practical steps besides mentioned JUI’s active involvement in relief through public cooperation.
Arifa MPA expressed solidarity with the victims and urged the government to move the homeless to safer areas.
PML-N MPA Amina Sardar raised the issue of a tragic accident in Abbottabad where a dumper killed eight schoolchildren out of whom three died on the spot.
She blamed district administration and traffic management, asking the Speaker for a ruling on this alleged gross negligence.
She also demanded attention towards rebuilding homes and bridges and taking climate change issue seriously.
Syeda Sonia Shah MPA said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has once again faced a natural calamity, citing lives lost, livestock killed, roads and communication destroyed.She urged to avoid encroachments, build protective walls, and prevent deforestation.
The Speaker said the provincial government has provided financial aid within 24 hours to victims’ doorsteps and PTI workers immediately reached affected areas and provided essential supplies.
Afshan Hussain MPA raised concern over deforestation and demanded a retaining wall along Swat River.
PML-N MPA Jameela Pracha mentioned that entire villages were swept away, hundreds of homes destroyed in floods.
She highly praised Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Federal Minister Engr Amir Muqam for visiting flood affected areas and distributed cheques among flood victims.
Naheeda Noor MPA reported a recent flood in Peshawar’s Mathra area and called for relief efforts.
MPA Shazia Tahmas demanded women’s representation in standing committees while MPA Mehr Sultana called for a joint committee of government and opposition members to ensure transparent distribution of relief funds.
Ashbar Jadoon, Farzana Shireen, and Khadija Bibi also spoke on the issue.
Chief Whip of PTI Akbar Ayub complained that the merged tribal districts are being denied funds, questioning how peace is expected without fulfilling promises.
He demanded IGP be invited to the Assembly to explain counterterrorism plans, saying the province is suffering daily losses of police, soldiers, and civilians.
He called for a special relief package for KP and clarified that loss assessments are being conducted by third parties, and no schemes have yet been approved.
Fateha was offered for martyred police officers killed in a terrorist encounter in Bannu. Speaker Babar Saleem Swati paid tribute to the courage of the police and Abdul Salam Afridi led a prayer for the deceased.
On a proposal by PML-N member Afshan Hussain, the House observed one minute of silence to show solidarity with the people of Bajaur, affected by both floods and operations.