Last year’s floods devastated many parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Thousands of people had become homeless whereas infrastructure worth billion of rupees infrastructure was washed away by floodwaters originated in mountainous regions of upper Swat and terminated at the Arabian Sea.
For over a month, the government functions remained on suspended while thousands of people were disconnected with the rest of the world and hundreds of them lost their lives. Those who become victims of natural disaster also included a young journalist Asma Nawar from village Dag Besod of Nowshehra district.
Serving various media and social organisations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Asma was occupant of a room in the house, which collapsed in the floods on the night between July 28 and 29, 2010. Other rooms in the house remained safe. She was one of the female journalists amongst 15, selected by the National Democratic Institute for Training in Holland in 2007-2008. She was associated to a government-run FM Radio in Khyber Agency, which portray her courage and faith in peace. Working as a journalist in Khyber Agency is a difficult task as the tribal belt is controlled by militants.
A graduate from the Peshawar University’s Journalism and Mass Communication Department, Asma is still remembered by her mates and colleagues. Little before her death, Asma engaged with a colleague journalist Sajjad Khattak.
Sajjad was quoted one year back, as saying, “Asma told me that she would die before him.” She was right. She was counted amongst dedicated journalists. Now she is being remembered beside others by her mother Parveen Gul, always witnessed with red cap on her head during Awami National Party functions. Her father Nawar Khan was too much influenced of Asma’s courage and boldness. “She was not only my daughter but also a son,” he remarked after her death.
Like of Asma Nawar, over 1200 others from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa became victims of the floods. Almost of them were lone bread earners for their families. Some of them have left behind aged parents for mourning their sad demises. Along with precious human lives, the floods also caused devastation to agro-economic infrastructure. Almost all the roads and bridges in Swat, Dir and Shangla regions destroyed. Main irrigation system in Peshawar valley, Malakand and Swat turned into ruins. Over a decade old bridges, particularly those of Chakdara and Amandara in Malakand, General Bus Stand Mingora and Ayub Bridge at Kanju Swat were washed away by gushing waters. Despite tall claims and pledges, the international community has failed in fulfilling of its promises and commitments regarding reconstruction and rehabilitation process in the flood-affected areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The federal government remain stuck to its indifferent attitude towards the province with distributing the foreign aid and grants amongst the provinces on population grounds whereas the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was insisting on dividing foreign aid on the basis of needs and damages. As a result of unrealistic policies on the part of federal government, thousands of people are still homeless. Thousands of others in hunt of livelihood sources whereas the peace loving people like Sajjad Khattak, Parveen Gul and Nawar Khan mourning the sad demise of Asma Nawar.
It is the high time for international community in general and Pakistani government in particular to realise their responsibilities for reconstruction and rehabilitation activities in flood-affected areas.