Why Armed Forces are only reliable aid-worker?
IT goes against the credibility of the current dispensation in the government in Islamabad that people have hardly donated any amount in the Prime Ministers Flood Relief Fund but people throng to the Army-led camps and relief centers, to volunteer or give aid. The reason is simple, the Islamabad government has as usual been caught napping; first the Governments Meteorological Department forecast weaker Monsoon rains than previous years (it changed its website after the deluge hit Pakistan) thus leaving the people totally unprepared for the catastrophe. The National Disaster Management Authority, which was created after great fanfare in the aftermath of the 2005 Earthquake, and is supposed to have a proactive role in managing disasters, was also totally unprepared. Pressure mounted on the government because the head of the state, President Zardari chose to visit his private chateau in France and revel in one of the most expensive hotels in London on a private trip as well as call on the British Prime Minister, despite the Brits insulting and humiliating comments against the people of Pakistan and thousands continued to drown in the floods back home. Touched to the quick, the reaction of the government was twofold. One, the Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani was asked to make a few cosmetic visits to some flood affected localities and observe the devastations caused from the safety of his helicopter window. When he did make a landing at Mianwali, the NDMA rigged up a fake field hospital with phony flood affectees, who were awarded compensation cheques by the PM. As soon as the PM departed for safer climes, the bogus hospital was disbanded but not before a private TV channel exposed the fraud. To rub salt in the wound, President Zardari became a victim of a shoe hurler in a PPP organized rally in Birmingham. The shoe thrower was also a jiyala, but perhaps with a pang of conscience since he could not bear his Presidents merrymaking while thousands perished back home. The government, instead of gearing up its relief efforts, directed its total anger at the private TV channel, stopping its transmission, burning its newsprint and jiyalas all over Sindh, instead of stopping the flood, surrounded, attacked and ransacked the private TV channel and its newspaper offices.
In this void of rescue and relief, there was only one organization, the Armed Forces of Pakistan, which rushed to help its countrymen. Pakistan Army, which is the bigger force, bore the brunt of the rescue and relief efforts. Pakistan Air Force and Navy, though smaller in size, were not found wanting in spirit. PAF rushed its C-130s and helicopters for aiding the flood victims, while PN boats and helicopters were plying round the clock to help the people stranded in the floods. Pakistan Army engineers strived to build bridges where the original ones had been washed off; medical teams of the three forces have been in the flood hit region in all four provinces from day one while Army Jawans have not only risked their lives to rescue those swept by floods, but have also helped build dykes to keep the flood waters away.It is obvious that the Armed Forces of Pakistan, especially the Army is likely to endear itself to the people because they have been there to aid them in their hour of need. It has not indulged in photo opportunities or fake camps but even the highest level of Commanders is regularly visiting the flood affected areas. The Government on the other hand, has not only been involved in criminal neglect of the people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan (Punjab has fared slightly better because of its vibrant provincial government) but failed to learn from its mistakes in the former two provinces and could have made provisions to avert danger in Sindh. Unfortunately, the NDMA or for that matter the Government in Islamabad and Karachi took few steps to save its people. The provincial government in Sindh was busier trying to whip up pressure against the private TV channel mentioned earlier, to save the honour of its President and play up the Sindh Card rather than save lives. Such disastrous moves made it imperative for the Armed Forces to bend backwards to save the people in distress.
Why Armed Forces are only reliable aid-worker?