Staff Correspondent
PESHAWAR: Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi on Wednesday received at least 10-truck relief consignment sent by the Government of Sindh for flood-affected people of Chitral, saying the assistance reflected inter-provincial solidarity in times of crisis.
The relief goods, comprising food items, drinking water, tents and other non-food items, will be transported to Chitral by the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for distribution among the affected families.
Talking to media after receiving the consignment, the Governor thanked the Government of Sindh for extending timely assistance, saying Sindh had always stood with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during difficult times.
He said President Asif Ali Zardari, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Sindh Chief Minister had consistently supported the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He added that the relief supplies were dispatched immediately after a request was made for assistance to the flood victims of Chitral.
The Governor urged the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to accelerate rehabilitation efforts, while calling upon the National Highway Authority (NHA) to restore damaged roads in the affected areas at the earliest.
Highlighting the need to strengthen disaster preparedness, Kundi said that only one of the NDMA’s 11 warehouses was located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa despite the province being the most vulnerable to floods. He demanded establishment of three to four additional relief warehouses, including in Malakand and Dera Ismail Khan.
He also urged the NDMA chairman to expand relief operations in Chitral and establish more warehouses in the province to ensure a prompt response to future emergencies.
The Governor said that while the Sindh government’s relief consignment had reached Chitral, the provincial government’s aid had yet to reach the affected people. He stressed that relief activities should remain free from politics and that timely assistance to flood victims must remain the top priority.
He appealed to federal and provincial authorities as well as welfare organisations to step forward and support the flood-hit population. He also urged the provincial administration to immediately dispatch teams to the affected areas and ensure close monitoring of relief operations.
PDMA Sindh officials, PPP Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Muhammad Ali Shah Bacha, Chairman Pakistan Red Crescent Society Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Farzand Ali Wazir and PRCS Provincial Secretary were also present on the occasion.