Zardari's Rs.900million Benazir Bhutto memorial plan angers Pakistanis

Islamabad, Sep 16(ANI): Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has invited public ire over plans to build a Rs.900million memorial for his late wife, Benazir Bhutto.

Benazir, a former Prime Minister, was assassinated in December 2007.


The 10-acre park and library complex was approved last month, but it has provoked anger in Pakistan. People are demanding that the Rs.900million cost for the project should be diverted to help the flood victims.

The monument has been in the pipeline for over two years, and has also attracted the ire of political opponents and campaigners before the floods.

A thousand people a day are signing an online petition urging the monument money be spent on flood relief instead.

"Our priority should be our people who are suffering, and we are almost sure that our former Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, who loved this country and its people, would also agree," The Telegraph quoted the online petition, as saying. (ANI)

PML-N Overseas donates Rs 5.3 million for flood affectees

Lahore: Secretary General International Affairs (PML-N) Sheikh Kaiser Mehmood handed over Rs 5.3 million cheque to former Prime Minister & PML-N Quaid Muhammad Nawaz Sharif to provide relief and rehabilitate the people affected by catastrophic flood in the country, at a ceremony here on Tuesday.

The over 5 million fund is raised by the PML-N Overseas supporters and leaders, headed by Sheikh Kaiser, attempting to tackle the challenge of flood affectees with unity and mustering resources, according to a handout.

PML-N Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif said that PML-N Overseas is planning the reconstruction of houses for the homeless flood affectees. PML-N Overseas will start construction of model village projects with standard infrastructure for living and as well as combined dairy sheds for cattle in the flood-hit areas to make their life safe in future, added PML-N Chief.

Nawaz Sharif underlined that PML-N Overseas has extended relief and rehabilitation support to the 2005 earthquake-affected communities and Internally Displaced People (IDPs) during the military operation in Swat in 2009.

He also urged the party workers and supporters to come forward to assist the flood affectees and in prevailing circumstances everyone should play his role to help the flood victims.

Sheikh Kaiser present at the occasion said that people in flood-hit areas are desperately in need of help as flood has rendered unprecedented wreckages in these areas and there is a need for collective efforts to overcome the major challenge for the affected people which is reconstruction of their damaged houses.

The PML-N Overseas delegation also includes Mian Saleem, Mian Amjad, Malik Amanat, Mian Afzal, Mian Yousuf, MalikYounus, Sheikh Imran, Malik Shahid, Ali Mumtaz and Sheikh Babar.