Punjab government by rejecting the aid of the Khyber Pakthunkhwa (KP) government has not only hurt the federation of the country but also sentiments of people of the province, said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader and Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed while talking to journalists on Thursday.
Rasheed said that the PTI-led KP government despite its differences with the federal government and sit-ins in Islamabad collected relief goods worth millions of rupees on self help basis but Punjab’s refusal to accept aid has harmed emotions of people of KP who wanted to extend help to their brethren in this critical time when floods have devastated their properties, agricultural yields and livestock.
He warned that rude attitude of monarchs of Raiwind will cost them a lot and they would have to suffer for their misdeeds.
The opposition leader said that the Punjab chief minister, before criticising PTI chairman Imran Khan, should look into his performance and measures of his party taken during last year of his rule to deal with the flashfloods during monsoon season.
Rasheed said that billions of rupees of foreign aid and loans were acquired from the Asian Development Bank (ADP), other foreign banks and international donors for construction of barrages, repair of embankments, improving irrigation and agriculture in the province but onground work in this regard seems to be zero. He demanded for a judicial commission to probe that where the said funds were spent by the government.
If the Punjab government would have learnt any lesson from 2010 flashfloods, it should have spent the public funds and taxes collected from general public on constructing dykes and mini dams to secure the lives, properties of masses instead of spoiling the money on futile projects of laptop schemes, yellow cabs and metro bus which have nothing to do with grievances of common man.