For a third consecutive day President Asif Ali Zardari personally monitored progress of relief and rehabilitation measures for rain and flood victims in Umerkot, Thatta and Tando Allahyar districts of Sindh through video conference facility set up in Bilawal House here Thursday.
Pubic representatives of the respective areas including MNAs and MPAs and district officials were present in the monitoring cells in Sanghar and Umarkot to take questions, make suggestions and explain plans for the future.

Sindh Governor Dr. Ishrat-ul- Ebad Khan was also present with the President in the Special Control Room.

Separately, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah was present in the control room set up at the CM House to participate in discussions via video conferencing.

President’s Spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said that President Asif Zardari enquired about the measures taken to save human lives and provision of food and clean drinking water to the marooned people.

The President directed that adequate fumigation be carried out to prevent the outbreak of dengue.

Most of the demands related to provision of tents, drinking water and food and medicines. The President directed the federal and provincial authorities, present in the control room, to import mosquito repellants and nets on an urgent basis. He also directed the Provincial Health Department to closely monitor the demand, supply and quality of medicines that is being supplied to the people of the affected areas.

The President said that the tent manufacturing capacity in the country was only seven to eight thousands tents per day which was far too short of the actual demand and the government had decided to import the tents.

Spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said that on the directions of the President the distribution of Pakistan cards will begin from today in Badin and Thatta districts.

President Asif Zardari also asked the Party leaders and Members of Parliament to remain close to the affected people in their hour of distress. “The least you can do is to share with them their agony and discomfort by being with them all the time,” Farhatullah Babar quoted the President as telling the Party leaders.

During the past two days the President has held similar interactive sessions with public representatives and district officials of four districts including Badin, Benazirabad, Mirpurkhas and Khairpur.

He said that the President has already stated that he will stay in Karachi for as long as it takes to supervise flood relief measures.

On Wednesday the President presided over a briefing on dengue control in Sindh. The President said that monitoring of relief through video conferencing will also continue from the Presidency in Islamabad.

The President also directed the Party legislators to mobilise the Party workers and bury the carcasses of dead livestock to prevent the outbreak of diseases.

Today (Sept 22) the President will also hold a meeting to address the food and agriculture issues in Sindh caused by the floods and another meeting on the overall power situation in the province.

The President will also meet the Sindh Abadgar Board and the representatives of Ginners’ Association to address their concerns and hear their views, he said.