Flood-hit Pakistanis celebrate Eid with hope

ISLAMABAD - Millions of flood-affected people in Pakistan are celebrating Eid Saturday with the hope that their privileged countrymen will spare a thought for them on this Muslim religious festival.

Eid-ul-Fitr marks the end of the month of Ramadan, during which Muslims observe fast from sunrise till sunset to seek divine blessings. Most of the ‘zakat’ (Islamic charity) during Ramadan were diverted towards the flood-victims.

“We had never thought that we’ll have to live on charity but water has taken away everything that we had”, said Shaukat who was displaced by floods on the Sindh-Punjab border. “This Eid has no meaning for us because how can we celebrate when our children are dying of hunger”, he regretted.

The government had, before Eid, announced a compensation of Rs.20,000 for each family displaced by the floods to let them prepare for the festival. However, the promised relief could not reach the deserving in time.

Federal Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said the plan could not be executed before Eid because of logistical reasons. “We have initiated the process and it is likely to be completed within 30 days,” he assured.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani, in his message on Eid, urged philanthropists to donate generously for the needy. “Share your happiness with those who are not as blessed as you are,” he said, adding that “the government is alive to the situation and is doing its utmost.”

In the absence of the cash-strapped government’s relief, several NGOs and media organisations have stepped in to fill the void. Celebrations have been arranged in relief camps as TV channels have sent-out crews to the affected areas and dedicated the transmission to highlight their vows.

Chief of PML-N, Nawaz Sharif, who visited Charsadda in northwestern Pakistan to celebrate Eid with displaced people, criticised the government for its inability to take measures in time to help these people to celebrate the festival properly.

“The problem is within the ranks of the government,” he said and warned that failure to act quickly will further aggravate these issues. “The government should stop looking towards the outside world and must undertake indigenous efforts to combat this challenge,” he stressed.

Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, who is spear-heading a fund-raising campaign from the platform of Geo TV was in Sindh on Eid.

“We want to let these people know that they are not alone in their hour of need”, he said, adding that the enormity of the task meant that the fund-raising and rehabilitation work would have to be carried on for several months.

More than 21 million people have been affected across Pakistan by flash floods, worst in the region’s history, and more than 1,700 have died. The government has estimated more than $43 billion would be needed to rehabilitate the displaced people and raise the devastated infrastructure again.

(Awais Saleem can be contacted at ians.pakistan@gmail.com)