ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari is so far the only leading PPP figure to have announced a handsome donation of Rs5 million for the flood affectees but the PML-N Senator Ishaq Dar has emerged unmatched as yet in the whole political arena of the country to have given Rs10 million for the same cause.
The Sharifs, the rulers of Punjab and one of the most affluent political families in the country, too announced Rs10 million for the help of flood victims, however, this amount is coming from a family and not just one individual as is the case of reputed Ishaq Dar.
Other than the politicians and from amongst the businessmen and others, industrialist and business tycoon Chaudhry Munir from Rahim Yar Khan has given Rs20 million as donation in the Punjab governments relief fund. Mian Muhammad Mansha of Mansha Group, who is the richest Pakistani and runs several business companies, has also pledged Rs10 million donation.
According to sources, the honable Chief Justice of Lahore High Court Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif has also given donation of Rs200,000, which as yet is the maximum to have been received from anyone falling in the category of civil servants.
President Zardari has pledged to give Rs1 million to Prime Ministers Relief Fund, Rs2 million each to the funds created for flood victims by his two elder children- Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Bakhtawar Zardari. No prominent PPP leader including even the prime minister or any of his cabinet members has made any announcement except the cabinets decision that all the ministers would give their one-month salary to the PMs relief fund.
In Punjab a similar decision has been taken but only the PML-N ministers committed to deposit their one-month salary in the relief fund. However, the PPP Punjab ministers have yet to make their intentions public or may opt to deposit their one-month salary in the Prime Ministers fund instead of their Chief Ministers fund. The Prime Minister besides directing all members of the federal cabinet had also announced to contribute his one month salary for the fund but decided to deduct one day salary of all officers in BS-17 and above and deposit the same in the Flood Relief Fund. Now Prime Minister Gilani, who too is considered a much wealthier man as compared to what he was before, is also expected to make an announcement for some considerable donation from his pocket.
A PML-N MPA Sheikh Allauddin gave Rs2 million to the Punjab fund. A Doha based Pakistani Rashid Rafiq Butt too gave Rs1.5 million to Punjab fund whereas some Sugar Mills owners, who made billions in the recent years, deposited Rs5 million each to the Punjab fund.
The details of the Prime Ministers Fund are awaited but so far the major contribution for this fund has come from National Bank of Pakistan, which deposited Rs50m in it. Otherwise, even on Monday sources in the NBP admitted that donations from ordinary Pakistanis are not coming for the federal fund as expected.
A senior official of the NBP said that as compared to 2005, the people of Pakistan in general are quite hard pressed financially which is the major reason for their lukewarm response. The Punjab government is though getting better response, it is not better than what was the situation after the 2005 earthquake. A PML-N source said that all the PML-N MNAs and MPAs are being asked to donate at least Rs500,000 and Rs300,000 respectively. In Punjab the major contribution so far has come from the mandatory deduction from the salaries of the government servants, which is Rs250 million.
http://thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=30648
The Sharifs, the rulers of Punjab and one of the most affluent political families in the country, too announced Rs10 million for the help of flood victims, however, this amount is coming from a family and not just one individual as is the case of reputed Ishaq Dar.
Other than the politicians and from amongst the businessmen and others, industrialist and business tycoon Chaudhry Munir from Rahim Yar Khan has given Rs20 million as donation in the Punjab governments relief fund. Mian Muhammad Mansha of Mansha Group, who is the richest Pakistani and runs several business companies, has also pledged Rs10 million donation.
According to sources, the honable Chief Justice of Lahore High Court Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif has also given donation of Rs200,000, which as yet is the maximum to have been received from anyone falling in the category of civil servants.
President Zardari has pledged to give Rs1 million to Prime Ministers Relief Fund, Rs2 million each to the funds created for flood victims by his two elder children- Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Bakhtawar Zardari. No prominent PPP leader including even the prime minister or any of his cabinet members has made any announcement except the cabinets decision that all the ministers would give their one-month salary to the PMs relief fund.
In Punjab a similar decision has been taken but only the PML-N ministers committed to deposit their one-month salary in the relief fund. However, the PPP Punjab ministers have yet to make their intentions public or may opt to deposit their one-month salary in the Prime Ministers fund instead of their Chief Ministers fund. The Prime Minister besides directing all members of the federal cabinet had also announced to contribute his one month salary for the fund but decided to deduct one day salary of all officers in BS-17 and above and deposit the same in the Flood Relief Fund. Now Prime Minister Gilani, who too is considered a much wealthier man as compared to what he was before, is also expected to make an announcement for some considerable donation from his pocket.
A PML-N MPA Sheikh Allauddin gave Rs2 million to the Punjab fund. A Doha based Pakistani Rashid Rafiq Butt too gave Rs1.5 million to Punjab fund whereas some Sugar Mills owners, who made billions in the recent years, deposited Rs5 million each to the Punjab fund.
The details of the Prime Ministers Fund are awaited but so far the major contribution for this fund has come from National Bank of Pakistan, which deposited Rs50m in it. Otherwise, even on Monday sources in the NBP admitted that donations from ordinary Pakistanis are not coming for the federal fund as expected.
A senior official of the NBP said that as compared to 2005, the people of Pakistan in general are quite hard pressed financially which is the major reason for their lukewarm response. The Punjab government is though getting better response, it is not better than what was the situation after the 2005 earthquake. A PML-N source said that all the PML-N MNAs and MPAs are being asked to donate at least Rs500,000 and Rs300,000 respectively. In Punjab the major contribution so far has come from the mandatory deduction from the salaries of the government servants, which is Rs250 million.
http://thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=30648
