Editorial: Victims of last cyclone unattended yet

The last cyclone devastated entire Balochistan, barring Quetta and parts of Northern Balochistan, rendering tens of thousands homeless and hundreds were killed. Whatever small relief provided to the affected people was from the security forces and the politicians proved to be a complete disappointment.

Rather there were allegations from the affected people that the so called chosen representatives of the people robbed of the relief supplies. The cyclone hit almost all the regions of Balochistan, barring the north and Quetta, in 2007 leaving tens of thousands homeless and the entire infrastructure damaged extensively with minimum efforts from the Federal Government to restore the infrastructure to the minimum level. It is unfortunate that the Prime Minister, while announcing the Balochistan Package, allocated some money for the affected people of last cyclone. When they receive the relief or money for complete rehabilitation of their life, it is not known keeping in view the financial and economic crises the country is facing. The people should not pardon those politicians who had allegedly misused funds for the affected people or diverted the resources for their personal use of for their politician constituents. Corruption is deeply rooted in our culture and the top politicians should be blamed for promoting this culture at the cost of the poor people and Pakistan as a state.

While writing these lines, the second cyclone lashed the Mekran Coast with heavy rains in Jiwani, Gwadar, Pasni, Turbat, entire Kech Valley major parts of Iranian Balochistan, including Chah Bahar, Konaruk, Sarbaz Valley and its adjoining areas affected. The reports of damages and casualties are yet to come later in the night before our going to the press. Hopefully, the Government had taken all precautionary measures to deal with the cyclone and it’s after affects in the Coastal region and central parts of Iranian and Pakistani Mekran minimizing the miseries of the poor people. It is also hoped that the disciplined forces are placed on high alert to deal with any eventuality following very heavy torrential rains and flooding. Means of communication should be kept open in all conditions as in the past, people suffered a lot merely because the highways and link roads were flooded and there was no communication. People remained incommunicado for weeks for want of fresh drinking water and necessary food supply. Thousands of families were uprooted and they lost their means of livelihood to this date and the Government failed to come to their help.