Last time when Pakistan was worst-hit by the flood was in 1992. WAPDA has to release more than 1,100,000 cusecs of water from Mangla Dam into River Jhelum, which caused massive destruction.
Pakistan appealed for international aid and the world,especially Saudi Arabia, gave enormous amount and goods in aid. In Jhelum, a large consignment of blankets had arrived from Saudi Arabia. Education Department employees were assigned duties to distribute the relief goods.
One of the employees told us that the wifes of very senior army officials – including a brigadier and a general – and bureaucrats – the then district commissioner - would come in the evening and pick the imported Saudi blankets and send them to their relatives. In fact, the begums of army officials were more accomodating. They would bring their friends also to hand-pick the blankets.
The Begums, over-powered by the softness of imported blankets and helpless before their greed - plundered the humanitarian aid which was meant for poor people forced to sleep under the sky.
Our national moral fibre has declined to a shamefull level. Let’s see what kind of plunder will satisfy the hungry begums of current ruling class this time.
Agree and will add something more. I happened to visit several 'outlets' of Lashkar-e-Taiba in 2007 around Muridke which were offering imported shoes, blankets, bedsheets, pillows, carpets, furniture and crockery at through-away prices. First of all, I suspected that the stuff may have been imported from Afghanistan and India as LeT's sideline business through mujahids; however, later I came to know that it was donations by the people for quake victims. I was stunned and since that day I have never donated even a single penny to any of the local agencies . . . SAQIB
ReplyDeletethe blankets for quake victims were openly being sold in Barra market Peshawar but no action was taken ever n so called civilized society members were greedy to get one
ReplyDeletesimilarly every year after EId ul Azha some of religious organizations use money collected from animal skins for terrorist activities... like in sugar crisis boycott is the best solution ..but who cares ?
Another disturbing fact is
ReplyDeletethere is no quick registration or listing of flood victims esp of women n children....the very thing was neglected in earth quake tragedy too...then there were mysterious stories of abduction of women and children.....who knows this is happening this time too as the rumors of abduction through charity organizations are in air these days...so the hunger of people varies from goods to human :(