Islamabad: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) launched a scathing critique of the government’s flood relief measures, advocating for the utilization of the Benazir Bhutto Income Support Programme (BISP) during a press conference at the party’s central secretariat in Islamabad. Central Information Secretary Nadeem Afzal Chan, Peoples Labour Bureau In-charge Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed, and former MNA Ghulam Murtaza Satti were present.
Chan accused the Punjab government of neglecting its duty to aid flood-stricken farmers and lauded BISP as Pakistan’s sole internationally acclaimed welfare initiative. He highlighted its origin as Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto’s vision, brought to fruition by President Asif Ali Zardari, now benefiting almost ten million impoverished families.
He condemned Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) for labeling BISP fraudulent, recalling their alleged misuse of funds during the Afghan Jihad. Chan questioned the success of JI’s “Jihad project,” alleging the sacrifice of innocent lives. He suggested using BISP’s data for flood relief, questioning the reliance on “patwari records” by international aid organizations.
Chan emphasized PPP’s record of achieving wheat surpluses, mentioning President Zardari’s proposed support price of Rs. 4,000. He criticized the current administration for favoring foreign growers, alleging Rs. 2 trillion in wheat imports with another Rs. 5 trillion anticipated, without domestic farmer relief.
Ahmed questioned whether water was intentionally weaponized, noting devastation in both East and West Punjab. He attributed embankment breaches to administrative negligence and highlighted BISP’s unique infrastructure for efficient aid delivery. He reiterated that BISP, with its extensive reach down to the Union Council level, is the most effective distribution mechanism.
Ahmed also accused JI of exploiting the poor through Zia-ul-Haq’s “Jihad project,” labeling it a documented failure. He urged JI to focus on politics rather than exploiting vulnerable populations.
The PLB in-charge clarified that PPP aims to present facts, not politicize the disaster. He criticized the government’s reliance on IMF conditions as a justification for importing wheat, claiming it has devastated Pakistani agriculture. He revealed dwindling wheat reserves of 800,000 tons against a requirement of 2.8 million tons and questioned the ban on inter-provincial wheat transport.
Ahmed pointed to the extensive flood damage in East and West Punjab, questioning whether the disaster was natural or man-made. He highlighted the agricultural and economic devastation, questioning the basis for Maryam Nawaz’s Rs. 20,000 per victim compensation. He compared this with the higher equivalent in Pakistani rupees and the subsidized farming inputs in Indian Punjab.
He detailed crop losses, estimating per-acre damages exceeding Rs. 100,000 for regular crops and Rs. 500,000 for orchards. Ahmed urged the provision of alternative state-owned land to farmers whose fields were ruined and reiterated BISP’s effectiveness for relief distribution due to its geotagged database.