ISLAMABAD, Dec 9 (APP): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday appreciated the fabulous teamwork by the National Flood Response and Coordination Center and other institutions for relief and rehabilitation of millions of distressed flood-hit people across the country, by utilizing all available resources.
The prime minister, addressing a ceremony held to acknowledge the efforts by the NFRCC and others during the flood relief operations, appreciated the leadership of Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and NFRCC’s head Major General Zafar Iqbal.
He said the Center had made efforts for the suffering flood-hit people who had lost around 1700 of their dear ones, houses and crops to the floods which also damaged the road and power supply infrastructure.
He said many villages had lost road connectivity but the Pakistan Army, Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Air Force, National Disaster Management Authority, provincial authorities and governments carried out the uphill task of supplying ration to the stranded people and restoring their access.
The prime minister particularly appreciated the role of former NDMA Chairman Lt. General Akhtar Nawaz, Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman, Poverty Alleviation Minister Shazia Marri, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and provincial chief ministers.
He also spoke high of the “remarkable job” by Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb for highlighting the catastrophic situation within Pakistan as well as internationally, by capturing the “critical moments” which impacted international viewers.
The prime minister said as the government had a model before it which required immediate implementation to save Pakistan as much as possible from any future catastrophic situation and enhance country’s preparedness to cope with the disasters.
He told the gathering that Pakistan was rich with immense natural resources like Reko Diq and others in Northern Areas, Sindh and Punjab.
He said Reko Diq had huge reservoirs of copper and gold to the tune of billions of dollars but despite the passage of several years, the country could not dig out even a “kilo” of gold or copper and instead lost billions of dollars in terms penalties, fees and tribunal expenses.
He said the country would not be able to get rid of poverty unless it pursued the course as advised by founder Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the recent floods were the biggest climate disaster of modern history which affected the poorest of the poor regions.
He said Prime Minister Shehbaz himself visited the flood-ravaged areas and the relevant institutions
made coordinated efforts from the top to the city administrations.
He said the hard work and collaborative efforts enabled the country to contain the scale of destruction like deaths consequent to the feared outbreak of diseases due to stagnant water.
