Pakistan Only Received $500 Million in Aid Out of $10 Billion Pledged for Flood Victims

In a recent session of the Senate Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, it was revealed that Pakistan received only $500 million as a grant for flood relief during the Geneva Donors Conference. Special Secretary of the Economic Affairs Division, Humair Karim, informed the committee that out of the $10 billion in assurances made at the Geneva Conference, $500 million was a grant, while the rest was in the form of loans. Senator Saifullah Abro objected, stating that the government had claimed to have received $10 billion. Regarding the distribution of solar panels in Sindh province, the committee expressed its frustration over the Sindh government’s failure to provide a list of 200,000 solar panels. Senator Saifullah Abro criticized the lack of transparency in the project funded by a $100 million loan and expressed concerns that the distribution of solar panels might be influenced by political considerations. The committee requested details on the method of distribution for the solar panels and questioned the use of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) list for distribution. The Sindh Project Director stated that individuals with zero to 20 points are ineligible to receive solar panels because they do not have six thousand rupees. Senator Abro offered to provide Rs. 3.6 million so that the committee could distribute the solar panels to deserving individuals directly. The committee also requested a copy of the letter sent to BISP and details about the distributing NGOs. The Sindh Project Director mentioned that beneficiaries are contacted through these NGOs. Kamil Ali Agha expressed disappointment regarding the situation in two provinces, voicing concerns over the martyrdom of forces in those areas and the lack of seriousness in the projects. Senator Abro objected to the absence of any officer from Balochistan. Senator Hidayatullah inquired about the funds allocated for the rehabilitation of flood-affected areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Economic Affairs Division officials promised to provide details about KP in the next meeting. Officials from the Economic Affairs Division stated that departments have been established within the EAD for all projects and institutions, including a dedicated department for each project related to international donors.