Owais Mughal
Baluchistan was hit by a cyclone named ‘Yemyeni’ four days ago and it has caused widespread havoc. BBC news site is reporting that 800000 people have been affected. Today there are even reports of rioting by the hungry people waiting for aid to arrive. Worst affected area is reported to be Turbat where water over ran the embankments of Mirani dam. Government aid has started pouring in slowly but a lot needs to be done. The detailed news about the cyclone and rain havoc across Baluchistan is all over the national and international media therefore at ATP we will let following images do the talking. The title photo above is of a submerged Turbat mosque.
These photos have been linked to the news sites and clicking on them will take you to their parent websites.
(2)
In this photo, the main road to Turbat is seen washed away in a flash flood. This photo is from thursday, June 28, 2007. Turbat city which has a population of 150000 is also without drinking water and electricity. Government of Pakistan has confirmed 14 deaths and 23 missing as of friday but this number may go higher once the water recedes.
(3)
In the photo to the right, angry protestors are seen walking towards the ‘nazim’ (mayor’s) office of Turbat. They are protesting slow and meager aid reaching their villages. The water from the hand-drwan wells has been rendered undrinkable due to floods and tube-wells which draw water from much deeper could not be operated because of power failure. Rauf Rind, nazim (mayor) of Kech said:
“The entire town has been inundated and people have taken refuge in tall buildings and trees”.
Chakar Baloch who walked more than 40 km through the night to reach Turbat said:
“Every family is looking for one or two members”.
Others feared they would never see their missing family members again.
(4)
Photo shows some of the problems that this cyclone has brought to people in the affected areas.
More photos of Baluchistan rains can be seen at BBC news site here.
Adil,
Yes, it does seem the current floods in Balochistan are going to make thing politically more difficult for Musharraf. I wonder if you have come across the interview yesterday in Daily Times of the former corps commander and Musharraf’s governor of Balochistan berofore the current incumbent, Lt. Gen. Abdul Qadir Baloch. He described Akbar Bugti as his hero and said so many other things that should make people in Islamabad sit up.
The news on teh cyclone situation in Balochistan keeps getting worse and this only compounds the very serious political crisis that teh province, especially Southern Balochistan, has been since the death of Nawab Akbar Bugti.
An update from The News:
The media seems to have been cowed down by the government. The owners of the TV channels have apparently struck a deal with the govt without even involving journalists.
BTW, when is Kamran Khan going to return from his “vacations?” Have they announced a date? In the absence of a date, I can’t help thinking that he has gone off air due to govt pressure.
Hamid Mir confronted him with some tough
How do you know that? did he Interview Musharraf ,some program or written in his article?
Speaking of Balochistan crisis, Dawn News channel reporter showed the packet of ROTTEN BIRYANI which is being supplied by army officials. People told that they were already hungry and they couldn’t eat that stinky chawal at all. The reported smelt himself and confirmed. It was also confirmed that aid was recently supplied which means they are providing such poisonous things to victims?
Good question Adnan! Is it so because the government is already so sensitive and touchy nowadays. Musharraf decried media for it’s negative role in a speech yesterday, and Hamid Mir confronted him with some tough and honest questions.
I think the media is just treading carefully. The government should not take any media criticism personally, but they are. And the media does not want any escalation at this point it seems.