Pakistan: Politicians fight over flood relief efforts, Zardari summons Interior Minister

Islamabad, Oct 6 (IANS) The ongoing dispute between the governments of Sindh and Punjab provinces in Pakistan over flood relief efforts has intensified, the local media reported on Monday.  

It was reported that the country's President Asif Ali Zardari stepped in to ease tensions between the Sindh and Punjab governments after a heated exchange over flood relief efforts turned into a public debate challenge between top provincial leaders.

"According to sources, President Zardari spoke with Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi over the phone and discussed the escalating rift between the two provinces. The President has summoned the Interior Minister to Karachi for an immediate consultation on the matter," Pakistan's leading media outlet Samaa TV reported.

The move aims at de-escalating growing political tensions as both provincial governments have accused each other of mismanagement and lack of transparency amid the devastating floods that has displaced millions across the country.

"The dispute intensified when PPP leader and MNA Sharmila Farooqi, in a morning show last week, criticised Punjab's handling of relief operations and challenged the province to a performance comparison. Punjab government spokesperson Uzma Bukhari swiftly responded, accepting the challenge and asserting that Punjab had maintained a transparent and systematic relief mechanism," Samaa TV reported.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto's spokesperson and Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab added to the heated exchange by slamming Punjab's stance.

As heavy rains and strong winds wreaked havoc across several districts of Pakistan's Punjab province over the past 24 hours, four people were killed and 28 others injured due to roof and wall collapses, according to the Rescue 1122 spokesperson, local media reported on Monday.

Two people were injured in Lahore after parts of buildings collapsed due to the storm. Punjab province has witnessed record rainfall during the past 24 hours, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).

The PDMA spokesperson warned that rainfall is expected to continue in the majority of districts over the next 24 hours, including Rawalpindi, Murree, Galyat, Attock, Lahore, Jhelum, Gujrat, Sialkot and Gujranwala.

--IANS

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