By: Anwar Roshan Ali
Decades of record-breaking rains and floods have wreaked havoc across the country. After Balochistan, large areas of Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and South Punjab are facing the worst disaster. More or less one thousand men and women, old people and children have fallen victim to the heavenly calamity. Electricity, gas and communication systems have been suspended in Balochistan. In Nowshera, floodwaters have entered the villages due to which several feet of water is standing in houses, hospitals, schools and other buildings. In other tourist areas including Madin, many hotels and houses collapsed and the main highways disappeared and thousands of vehicles, dozens of bridges, hundreds of people and cattle have all been swept away by the floods. According to preliminary assessments, the total damage estimate is from nine to ten trillion rupees. The federal interior ministry has approved the deployment of the army to assist the civil government in the relief and rescue operations of the flood victims across the country at the request of the four provinces. Undoubtedly, the entire Pakistani nation, which is already struggling with a severe economic crisis, this nationwide flood has exposed a national test that requires complete unity and determination to deal with it. In this regard, the announcement of the National Conference by the Prime Minister is definitely a positive decision. According to reports, a national conference will be held under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister next week in order to formulate a plan for the reconstruction of the infrastructure, including roads and highways, in areas damaged by rains and floods, in which the chief ministers of the four provinces and Gilgit-Baltistan will be present. , Prime Minister Azad Kashmir, Chairman NDMA apart from all concerned stakeholders will be invited. The objective of the conference is to make cooperation between the Federation and the provinces effective, coordinated and productive. The conference will certainly prove effective in coordinating efforts to help the flood victims and restore the affected areas, but the challenge is so difficult and it requires such a large scale of financial resources, manpower and national commitment that only the country’s administration can do it. It is not enough to coordinate efforts. The need of the hour is that a national conference consisting of all the political forces and state institutions of the country should be convened as soon as possible whose agenda is only a united and joint struggle to overcome the challenge of floods. All the leaders of the national parties in this hour of collective trial. Put aside your political differences, blame wars, inflammatory rhetoric and campaigns against national institutions, participate only in the spirit of service and provide proof of your sincerity by your actions. First, make a sacrifice for the suffering people, the easiest form of which is financial sacrifice. Our history is that when times are hard and it is time to tie a stone on the stomach due to starvation, the ruler is more generous than the common man. Two stones are tied on the stomach. If our ruling class becomes a practical example before appealing to the nation, surely the common people will also see the ideal desire for national reconstruction and it will become easier to face this difficult time. Transparency in the distribution of aid and funds must also be ensured to the utmost extent. In preparing to deal with the current situation, it should also be kept in mind that due to climate change, long-term planning with immediate measures is essential to keep the situation under control in the coming times.