Keep politics aside, focus on people affected by rains: Zardari

Former president Asif Ali Zardari has urged political parties to keep politics aside and focus on people affected by floods stemming from relentless rains in Pakistan.

“All provinces of the country are currently facing an emergency due to rains,” he said, according to a tweet posted by Pakistan Peoples Party.

“All of us should leave politics at this time and focus only on our brothers and sisters affected by rains and flooding.”

He pointed out that the affectees were looking towards the federal and provincial governments to rescue and assist them.

Rural and urban areas of the country are facing urban and flash flooding due to devastating rains while crops and farms have faced destruction.

Relief operation continues as rains, floods wreak havoc in Balochistan

Earlier during the day, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Pakistan Army troops are continuing their relief operations in flood-hit areas of Balochistan where more than 200 people have died, with at least nine lives lost on Monday alone.

The ISPR said that troops are also busy in rescue and relief operations in Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, adding that ration is being distributed in affected areas and medical aid is also being provided to the affected people.

Balochistan and Sindh have been receiving heavy rains since the month of July, leading to widespread devastation. Torrential rains in Balochistan and Sindh have resulted in deaths, injuries, damage of infrastructure and private properties, and road blockages. In response, Pakistan has seen mass mobilisation to conduct relief operations by the civil and military administrations.

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Meanwhile, Zardari lamented that “one man's addiction to power is driving him insane and this person is criticising the army while officers and soldiers of the same army are fighting terrorists and risking their lives in two provinces.”

Referring to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, he said this person threatened the army, police and then a female magistrate of the judiciary and called for arresting all of them.

“The judiciary has to see whether this person is above the law, and whether this person can take revenge actions against me, Nawaz Sharif, my sister and Maryam [Nawaz],” he said. “He [Imran] himself tramples every law.”

The government has to establish its writ, otherwise the law, the constitution and the institutions will continue to obey this person, Zardari stated.