Adil Najam
The death toll continues to mount. From 228 it leapt up to 417, and now the authorities in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa province say that it is more than 800. Casualties are also mounting in Sindh Punjab and Baluchistan.
If the 800 number is correct then the national toll must be well above 1000. And all of this as the ‘super flood’ that is expected in Sindh and Punjab because of these rains has not even hit as yet!
But the number of the day today is neither 800 or 1000, it is 1,000,000: Over one million people, according to the United Nations, have now been affected by these rains in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa alone. That number is bound to be much larger if you count the entire country, and is bound to grow even larger.
Hopefully these will be short-term displacements, but they are tragic – and unnecessary – displacements nonetheless. As commenters have already pointed out, there is nothing ‘natural’ about this disaster. It is entirely human made. People die not because it rains, they die because they do not have the means to cope with the rains. They do not have the means because of poverty and maldevelopment. These are preventable deaths and preventable displacement. The question is only whether we have the will to prevent.
The dead have unfortunately gone already. It is too late for us to act to help them. But let us do whatever we can to help those whose lives have been shattered by these floods. They have little recourse to a national social security net. And we have no excuse not to act.
As we announced yesterday, ATP will be sending all of its revenue to relief agencies working with the poor hit by these flood. We urge our readers to do the same. We are sending our contributions to the Edhi Foundation, but please send yours wherever you feel best, and please also share with us and our readers ideas about what you think are the best ways to help those displaced by these rains.
More details on this calamity here; and a pictorial post of the misery it has brought, here.
@Asim
if u were anything like Allah??? what do u mean by that?
what a shame………. ur whole comment is shameful to the core! u are denying the power of Allah and praying??
and u think all those listed above are normal acts? especailly for muslims?? rape, homeosexuality, adultry, harrasment, racism, murder, stealing are all normal and day to day based activities???
Allah sahi kehta hai:
“Allah has set a seal on their hearts and their ears, and over their eyes is a covering; and for them is a great punishment” [ Al-Baqarah – verse 8]
“They are deaf, dumb, and blind; so they will not return” [Al-Baqarah – verse 19]
it is surly for ppl like u!
guys guys…what happens in Pakistan, happens everywhere else…example…guys and girls getting raped, murdered, robbed is not unique to Pakistan. What is unique to Pakistan and maybe Bangladesh is that people interpret such acts of nature as “Allah’s punishment” and start praying whoch doesnt do crap for anyone. Affected people should see signs in such tragedies and consider them opportunities to improve and/or build dams, water ways, stronger housing, roads etc to better their lives and not Allah’s life by unnecessarily praying for Him…5-10 minutes of work each day to better another human’s life would be far better than praying for Allah 5 times a day.,,,that’s just how i would think if I was anything like Allah.
@ shuaib
jab Hazrat Loot (AS) aur Hazrat Nooh (AS) ki qaum peh jo Azab aaye thye uss main bachye nahi thye? when azab comes, it doesnt see age, it just sees the beliefs and tawakal on Allah.
Qaum tabha hoti hain tu saab mare jate hain. yehi Allah ka azab hota hai, Allah unki naslain khatam kar dehte hain!
Its time for Pakistanis to prostrate their heads infront of Allah, and ask forgivness and the path of righteousness. These rains & floods are Azab-e-Illahi!….. Either do Astakfar or be ready to become an “Ibrat Naak Nishan” for coming generations……….. Astaghfirullah Rabbi Min Kulli Zambiyon Wa Atoobu Ilaiyh!
@shuaib says,
“So Allah is killing kids younger than 5 years old because they have committed some sins?”
It is an interesting point. I wonder why my infant son (a son of a Pakistani) in USA is receiving the top medical and other care in USA? Why Allah is rewarding my infant for no achivement of his?
I think Allah is blessing America for making Freedom of Religion as part of its constitution, authored by HAZRAT THOMAS JEFFERSON ALHE-SALAM.
Its time for Pakistanis to do lots of “Astakfar” and ask Allah to show them the right path. give them Hadayat, and show them path of rightousness!!
Allah Reham kare Pakistan peh!