LAHORE: Senior politician and former federal minister Mohammad Ali Durrani has urged the government to declare a national emergency over the ongoing flood crisis, stressing that administrative reforms and equitable distribution of provincial resources are essential to address public grievances.
He made these remarks during a meeting with a Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) delegation led by Zahid Malik, convener of the Pothohar Province movement, at his residence on Thursday. The two sides discussed political developments, the demand for new provinces, and the impact of the floods.
Durrani argued that provinces created on administrative grounds would strengthen governance and improve service delivery. He said the absence of local governments had intensified the devastation caused by floods, while the concentration of provincial resources in select cities was fueling discontent among the wider population.
“Resources must be allocated under the constitutional formula rather than at the whim of chief ministers,” he said, adding that the creation of new provinces would help decentralize power and ensure fairer governance.
The MQM delegation praised Durrani for his consistent struggle for the restoration of Bahawalpur Province and his broader advocacy for new provinces. Durrani, in turn, congratulated Zahid Malik for spearheading the Pothohar Province movement.
The meeting was also attended by MQM Punjab Secretary General Karamat Ali Sheikh and Additional Secretary General Umar Ali Agha.
