PPP Urges Punjab to Declare Agricultural Emergency, Exempt Flood Victims from Electricity Bills
Karachi: The Pakistan Peoples Party has demanded that the Punjab government declare an agricultural emergency across the province, grant complete exemption from electricity bills to flood victims, and initiate reconstruction projects with the support of the international community. Senior Sindh Minister, Provincial Minister for Information, Transport and Mass Transit, and PPP Sindh Information Secretary Sharjeel Inam Memon said in a statement that fields in Punjab have been destroyed by floods, farmers are facing severe difficulties, and the lives of ordinary people have become unmanageable. As a result of recent rains and floods, more than 2.1 million acres of agricultural land in Punjab have been submerged.
He said that the floods and rains have devastated key crops including rice, cotton, sugarcane, and maize. The destruction of vegetables has created a severe shortage in the market, causing a sharp rise in prices. Thousands of livestock, considered the savings of farmers, have also perished in the floods. Sharjeel Inam Memon said that these losses have pushed farmers into a crippling economic crisis, the national economy has been hit hard, billions have been lost, and the country now faces serious threats to food security. He added that, like the federal government, the Punjab government must also declare an agricultural emergency in the province. Such an emergency is essential to provide timely relief to farmers and to safeguard national food security.
He further said that to reduce the financial burden on flood victims, complete exemption from electricity bills should be extended not only to farmers but to all flood-affected people. This is not a time for mere expressions of sympathy but for practical measures. The Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that the governments of Pakistan and Punjab should take the international community and international organizations into confidence for immediate assistance, and with their cooperation, launch large-scale rehabilitation projects for the people of Punjab.
He stated that after the devastating floods in Sindh, the construction of 2.1 million houses and alternative energy projects had been initiated. Rehabilitation and reconstruction in Punjab should be planned on the same model. Sharjeel Inam Memon said that in Sindh, the government, in collaboration with international organizations, not only built houses but also distributed free solar panels. A similar model should be adopted in Punjab so that victims receive sustainable relief and the prospect of a better future. He concluded that in this difficult time, the people and government of Sindh fully stand with the brothers and sisters of Punjab and are ready to extend all possible support.
