Islamabad / Lahore:
A high-powered federal cabinet committee on agriculture, climate change, and flood emergencies openly expressed frustration on Monday over the “nonchalant approach” of federal ministers and provincial governments towards assessing flood losses, ahead of a vital support package expected from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
At the onset of the inaugural meeting, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, the committee’s convener, was visibly irked by the absence of key federal ministers for finance, water resources, climate change, and power. He also took sharp exception to the inadequate representation from Punjab and Sindh, vowing to report this “non-serious attitude on such a grave issue” directly to the Prime Minister.
While some federal ministers later joined, Sindh’s absence was conspicuous, coinciding with the PPP’s walkout from the National Assembly amid a political rift with the PML-N. Flood-ravaged Punjab was represented only by a special secretary.
The Race Against Rabi Season
Minister Iqbal deplored that the start of the Rabi season offered a narrow two-week window for the government to support affected farmers and steer them toward a new, financially viable crop. He advocated for the use of canola, internationally priced at around per tonne, as a high-value alternative to wheat.
The Finance Minister for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Muzammil Aslam, pressed a critical provincial concern, demanding that the Prime Minister’s package be proportional to provincial National Finance Commission (NFC) shares, and not disproportionately center around Punjab and Sindh. He argued against fertilizer gas subsidies being politically consumed in larger provinces when KP ultimately also faces severe economic constraints.
Iqbal expressed his deep dissatisfaction upon discovering the poor coordination between the Ministry of National Food Security and the provinces regarding flood loss data. “We do not have unlimited time to waste while the opportunity is slipping through,” he was quoted as saying, highlighting the critical delay in action.
Task Forces Formed to Fast-Track Relief
In a bid to overcome inertia, the Planning Minister formed three dedicated task forces in consultation with federal and provincial representatives. These task forces are mandated to prepare detailed reports within 15 days, focusing on immediate agricultural relief, climate resilience strategies, and long-term infrastructure strengthening for submission to the Prime Minister.
Iqbal underscored the extreme urgency of the situation, particularly the need to supply canola seeds to farmers within the next two weeks to leverage the soil moisture left by the receding floodwaters. “This is a moment for urgent action—we must not waste it,” he stressed, assuring provinces that the federal committee was established for joint, coordinated action, not intrusion.
Punjab Announces Comprehensive Compensation
Separately, the Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, announced a broad relief package for flood-hit areas, initiating compensation payments from October 7. The provincial cabinet approved substantial financial support: Rs1 million for the family of a deceased person, up to Rs1 million for a fully damaged concrete house, and Rs500,000 for a fully damaged mud house. The government also endorsed waivers on agricultural income tax and ‘Aabiana’ (water charges) in 2,855 flood-affected villages.
