LAHORE; Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari announced on Tuesday that the provincial government will issue relief cards in the names of flood victims using its own resources, rather than relying on the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). Speaking at a press conference at the DGPR office, she stressed that disaster relief should not be politicised.
“These relief cards will ensure that assistance reaches the right people without adding to their suffering. Our priority is service, not politics,” she said. Criticising the Sindh government, she remarked: “Should we take advice from those who have turned Sindh into archaeological ruins?”
Bokhari said the Punjab government has introduced a comprehensive compensation package: Rs20,000 per acre for crop loss, Rs1 million for fully destroyed homes, Rs500,000 for partially damaged houses, and Rs500,000 for cattle loss. “All of these funds are from Punjab’s own resources. We have not sought external financial aid,” she emphasised.
She highlighted that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and her team are actively present in flood-hit areas, ensuring effective relief operations. Despite the disaster, development projects have continued, including the Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar scheme, under which 80,000 houses are under construction, with 100,000 expected by December.
Bokhari further noted that several federal leaders, including PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani, have praised Punjab’s management of the crisis. She said unlike past administrations, the government was “fully prepared on every front” to tackle floods this year.
