KARACHI, Sep 01 (NNI): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Sindh President and former Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly, Haleem Adil Sheikh, criticized Sindh government’s handling of flood crisis.
He held a critical press conference at Insaf House, Karachi.
Accompanied by PTI Karachi General Secretary Arsalan Khalid, PTI Parliamentary Leader in Sindh Assembly Shabeer Qureshi, PTI leaders Jamal Siddiqui, Sarina Adnan, Rana Azam, MPA Sajjad Soomro, MPA Rehan Bandokda, Agha Arslan, Muhammad Ali Baloch, Ayesha Rasheed, Fouzia Siddiqui, Molana Jamil Azhar Wathra and others, Sheikh addressed the media regarding the aftermath of recent heavy rains and subsequent flooding across Sindh.
Sheikh expressed grave concerns over the situation, highlighting that many areas in Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, and Shaheed Benazirabad divisions are still inundated with floodwaters. In Hyderabad, several neighborhoods remain submerged, while thousands of acres of crops have been destroyed in rural Sindh. In coastal regions like Thatta, Badin high winds have demolished homes, and many villages in Sujawal are under water. The continuous rise in the Indus River’s water levels has worsened the situation, with the floodwaters breaching the Indus Highway and cutting off over 70 villages in Dadu and Sehwan from urban centers. The floodwaters have also washed away a Levies check post on the Sindh-Balochistan border.
Sheikh highlighted that in the last two months, 47 people have lost their lives due to the recent rains, and millions of acres of crops have been destroyed. However, the Sindh government has yet to initiate any relief work.
Sheikh pointed out that while Dadu, the constituency of Sindh’s Chief Minister, remains flooded, the Chief Minister has not visited the area. Referring to last year’s floods, he said the Sindh government had announced the construction of 2 million homes, but only a fraction of the affected people received any help, with many still waiting for their installments.
Sheikh criticized the Sindh government’s lack of response, noting that no area has been declared a disaster zone, and relief activities have not commenced. He accused the sindh government’s focal persons of engaging in mere photo sessions without providing essential relief supplies like food or tents and medical add. He also noted that several areas in Badin, including the village of Ghulam Ali Chandio, are still submerged, with standing water in both streets and homes.
He went on to explain that over 150 villages in Dadu are surrounded by water due to flooding, while people in Umerkot, Sanghar, and Tando Allahyar are left under the open sky, awaiting assistance. In Tando Allahyar district, two more fatalities have been reported due to the rains, with several areas still waterlogged, particularly Jhundo Mari and Chamber Tehsil of Tando Allahyar. Many parts of Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Khipro, Shahdadpur, and Sindhri are also underwater, with crops completely destroyed. The situation is equally dire in Tando Adam, where flood conditions have left residents distressed.
Sheikh lamented that the PTI’s monitoring cell is gathering reports from Sindh, a task that should have been the responsibility of the provincial government. He claimed that the Sindh government is failing to deliver, with no disaster relief in sight. He accused the provincial government of deliberately allowing the situation to worsen to siphon off more funds, similar to the previous year’s alleged misconduct surrounding Manchar Lake.
Furthermore, Sheikh criticized the provincial government for neglecting essential infrastructure, stating that Karachi’s infrastructure has been completely destroyed by the recent rains. Roads and streets across the city are in ruins, with large potholes everywhere, and the sewerage system is entirely dysfunctional, exacerbating the crisis. He accused the Sindh government of corruption, He criticized the provincial government’s mismanagement, pointing out that Rs. 5 billion were spent on the Qayyumabad to Expressway road, yet it is riddled with potholes. Citing a report from the Sindh Planning and Development Department’s monitoring team, Sheikh claimed that the Rs. 32 billion spent on Karachi’s Click Project was wasted due to substandard work, with the funds being embezzled by members of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
Haleem Adil Sheikh, expressed grave concerns over the state of press freedom in Pakistan. He stated, “Never before in Pakistan’s history has the media been subjected to such restrictions. Even when we raise public issues, we are silenced, and our voices are not given proper coverage. We pray for true freedom in Pakistan, where the media can operate without constraints.” Sheikh urged the media to expose the reality of the flood-hit areas in Sindh, He also demanded immediate drainage of floodwaters, provision of homes to those whose houses have been submerged, and the deployment of livestock and medical relief teams to assist rain affected areas and these areas to be declared disaster zones.
Sheikh further accused corrupt rulers of turning rain, which is supposed to be a blessing, into a curse. He alleged that the Sindh government appointed focal persons for the sole purpose of misappropriating emergency funds, with these officials more focused on photo opportunities than relief efforts. “These focal persons are appointed to oversee deputy commissioners and be part of the corruption chain,” he claimed.
The PTI leader also blasted Karachi’s three major storm drains, Korangi Nala, Gujjar Nala, and Mehmoodabad, for being clogged with garbage. They criticized the Sindh government for failing to clean over 545 drains, which PTI had cleaned during its tenure.
Haleem Adil Sheikh stated that there will be a historic rally in Islamabad on September 8th. If the rally is obstructed, the location may be changed, and the public will decide on the new location. People from all over Sindh will participate in the Islamabad rally.
PTI Karachi Division General Secretary Arsalan Khalid said that the Sindh government has failed to run the governance system, with stagnant water still present in several areas of Metropolitan city. He criticized the ruling authorities, labeling them as corrupt and negligent, and accused them of looting Karachi’s tax revenue without delivering any benefits to the citizens. He questioned the absence of the MQM, who once claimed to represent Karachi, while asserting that PTI remains the true voice of Karachi’s citizens.
PTI Parliamentary Leader MPA Shabbir Qureshi echoed these concerns, stating that the PPP is troubled by PTI’s growing influence in Sindh’s interior. He claimed that despite a massive budget, the provincial government’s relief efforts in rain-affected areas are non-existent. He also criticized the recently elected Karachi mayor, labeling him a “dummy mayor” installed through electoral rigging. NNI
