PPP Leader Says Flood Damage Could Have Been Reduced With Local Government System
Lahore: Report by Farzana ch Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Information Secretary Nadeem Afzal Chan has said that the recent floods in Punjab would not have caused such devastation if a local government system had been in place. Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Chan reminded that the PPP’s coalition agreement with the ruling Pakistan Muslim…
Lahore: Report by Farzana ch Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Information Secretary Nadeem Afzal Chan has said that the recent floods in Punjab would not have caused such devastation if a local government system had been in place.
Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Chan reminded that the PPP’s coalition agreement with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) included a commitment to hold local government elections within a year — a promise yet to be fulfilled.
He criticized the government for using the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as an excuse to delay policy decisions. “Does the IMF stop you from excessive spending? Does it prevent you from conducting local elections?” he asked.
Chan further alleged that major decisions were being taken in closed-door meetings at Jati Umra with bureaucrats, while farmers were being ignored. He noted that despite last year’s floods, no relief had been provided to the farming community, and instead, wheat was being imported rather than supporting local growers.
Highlighting tensions within the ruling alliance, Chan said, “We are often taunted for being a government ally, but when we joined the coalition, it was based on a 14-point agreement. Being the voice of the suffering is part of the PPP’s constitution.”
He also accused the government of sidelining the Benazir Income Support Programme’s (BISP) data simply because it carries the picture of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
