Flood victims’ rehabilitation to cost billions of rupees: PM Shehbaz

• PM inaugurates rebuilt school in Sahabatpur district, Balochistan.
• 1 million houses have been swept away by flood, PM 
• Contacting leadership-friendly countries for support

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said he could not sleep at night when the matter of compensating flood victims for their houses came to his mind.

“1 million houses have been swept away by water, God willing, we will compensate these people,” the premier said while addressing a function in Sohbatpur district of Balochistan. 

Since the whole Sohbatpur district was submerged in floodwater, he said, it was not an easy task to deliver water and food to the flood-affected people in the region.

"I have not seen such a huge flood in my entire life," the prime minister said, adding that with the plains of Sindh and the mountainous region of Balochistan submerged in water, the rehabilitation of victims is a daunting task.

The function in Sohbatpur district was held at the inauguration of a rebuilt Government Boys Secondary School of Kili Jia Khan.

While addressing the audience, PM Shehbaz expressed hope that he would be able to rally the support of the international community for the process of reconstruction and rehabilitation of flood-hit Pakistan at the International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan scheduled to be held in Geneva on January 9.

He also said he was constantly contacting the leadership of friendly countries to invite them to the conference.

“Yesterday, I talked to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who has me assured that Malaysia is sending a delegation to the conference. The Malaysian PM will also join through Zoom.”

Premier Shehbaz also told the audience that he had held telephonic interactions with the leaders of Turkey, Qatar and UAE to gather more support.

The prime minister said he would co-chair the moot with the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

However, he said the government and the people of Pakistan must also make an active effort for the rehabilitation.

He said the government had already distributed Rs100 billion among the affected people through Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) but a lot more funds are still needed to compensate for the 1 million houses destroyed by the flood. “Many people are still awaiting assistance for their rehabilitation."

On the occasion of the inauguration, the prime minister unveiled the plaque of the newly-built smart school building and announced that the school’s facilities would be at par with the Danish Schools of Punjab.

He committed to upgrading the school by March 23 and pledged that it would be equipped with IT facilities like e-library, hostel, solar energy and playgrounds.

He also announced the construction of 12 Danish Schools across Balochistan to provide equal educational facilities to the poor children of the province.

The prime minister also applauded the performance of government officers and provincial leadership for completing the school building within two months and also announced that three officers including chief secretary and secretary of education would be given the Tamgha-e-Khidmat award.

PM Shehbaz also commented on the general state of the country’s economy and said that the coalition parties had inherited a country with a breached IMF agreement, which had led to skyrocketing oil prices and reduced wheat production.

“The previous government failed to purchase gas when it was the cheapest in the international market and the incumbent government had to spend $27 billion for oil import,” he added.

As a part of the day’s festivities, the prime minister also witnessed a sports match among the school students.

He said that the vision behind Danish School was to bring the children of the far-flung areas into mainstream academics.

The premier got emotional while narrating the story of an orphaned girl student in Danish School of Rahim Yar Khan who felt blessed to have found the facilities of education and residence when she felt most helpless.

He further instructed Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo to find suitable land for the construction of Danish Schools in the province.

PM Shehbaz then sat with students of the newly-inaugurated school in their classrooms, indulging in pleasant conversation with them and also played with them on the school’s ground.

He told the students that education and skill training alone could enable the country to counter poverty and illiteracy. “Education is the only tool to put Pakistan on the course to progress and prosperity as well as bringing about a revolution,” he advised the students.

The prime minister, who was given a briefing on the status of reconstruction and rehabilitation works, also interacted with the flood-affected families of the province.