Editorial

Dr. Busharat Elahi Jamil

In these days Pakistan is facing worst and unprecedented flood of the history, with sufficient dismaying statistic of the devastation and demolition to shiver through humanity. The main reason being the heavy rain cycles were caused by the climate changes. Usually Pakistan has 3 to 4 monsoon seasonal rain cycles but in topical spell Pakistan faced 8 which is extra ordinary.

Since June 2022, according to UNICEF reports, more than 33 million including 3.4 million children have been effected, which is around 16% of the south Asian population. Moreover, this number is drastically swelling. Hundreds of time more rains smashed 3000 KM long highways, 130 bridges, half million houses and a lot more partially effected from June to August 2022.

Total damages of this disastrous flood according to the Bloomberg report are “far greater than $10 billion”. The electricity infrastructure, internet, telecommunication and gas lines have been knocked down. Due to the distressed infrastructure, administrative machinery is still unable to reach the flood victims. Federal and provincial governments have entirely failed to locate and approach the said victims. Until then disaster management authority is unable to calculate the exact estimate of human and financial losses.

According to UNICEF, millions of people are displaced, IDRF reported that 1136 people including 343 kids have died and more than one million houses are ruined.  Sindh is the most effected province as Sindh Government’s poor planning and policies are still adding to the miseries of the people. Generally people are suffering from water born diseases, doctors are not willing to serve in the affected areas and fake medicines are increasing the death toll as well.

Political leadership has failed to contain the situations and miseries of the flood victims. Politics won and people lost. Political heads and elites seem only worried about their own properties rather than the masses. In future, politicians need to be tied instead of being make embankments on the water to avoid such losses.  The maladministration and poor policies are more dangerous than the flood. Contemporary politics in Pakistan established the fact that country and nation is way beyond the core interests of the political elite.

Unfortunately, both PTI and PDM are using flood for their political objectives and gains. This flood also gives birth to black-marketing, law and order, political mileage, self-interest, accusation, financial crisis, moral crisis, brutal use of democracy and end of national unity and integration. Furthermore, agricultural and industrial crisis are in line. This is the time for Pakistan to look for a loyal and sincere leadership because with these circumstances Pakistan’s future could only be poverty, human disastrous, famine and social demolition.