LAHORE, Sep 13 (ABC):Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique on Monday said that it was not time for politics but helping the flood victims.
While talking to the media here, he said that one third of the country drowned in flood and millions of Pakistanis were affected due to it . He said that the federal government, provincial governments, National Disaster Management Authority, Provincial Disaster Management Authorities, and non-governmental organisations were playing their role for rehabilitation of the flood victims.
Whether it suited anyone to quarrel, hold a public meeting daily and stage a drama on this occasion, he questioned. Instead of going into the field and helping the flood victims, a party and its leader were continuously attacking the government so that it could not do any work, he added.
The federal minister criticised former finance minister Shaukat Tareen and said that he attempted to stop signing of the deal with the International Monetary Fund so that Pakistan could default.
He said that if they could not help the flood victims and the country then they should stop creating hurdles in the process of helping the victims and saving the country from default, at least, but they were creating hurdles.
He said that their politics had been exposed in the current situation. They apparently claimed to be saviour of the masses but actually they were insensitive.
Saad said that he was going to Sindh province where railway installations had been affected badly due to floods. He said that freight operations were being carried out with difficulty but could not afford to operate passenger trains till the water receded. He appealed to the people of the Punjab and others to come forward and help their brethren in this situation.
Earlier, Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother Khawaja Salman Rafique appeared before an accountability court in connection with the Paragon City case. The court adjourned hearing of the matter till September 23.