Jolie’s donation belittles politicians
ISLAMABAD: When it comes to contributions from their private coffers, politicians’ donation for flood survivors could not match even that of Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, who has contributed $100,000.
Very few politicians have set much of an example for their compatriots.
Some political leaders have even refused to reveal their contribution to the relief effort. They claimed that their contributions went to the fund of their parties.
But even those who have declared their contributions have failed to impress the people. President Asif Ali Zardari and Altaf Hussain, chief of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, claimed to have donated Rs5 million each. However, these remain far behind the contribution made by Angelina Jolie (8.5 million rupees).
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and top leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q, Awami National Party and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F do not believe in donation in cash. Their aides said they had instead donated in kind.
“The prime minister has already said that he does not believe in cash contribution and thus he did not deposit money in the fund, but his son in Multan dispatched many trucks of goods on behalf of the family,” PM’s press secretary Shabir Anwar said.
“During his recent visit to the UK, President Zardari announced Rs2.5 million in donation and after his return he contributed another Rs2.5 million to the prime minister’s flood relief fund,” presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar said.
He said that children of the president — Bilawal Zardari-Bhutto, Bakhtawar Zardari and Asifa Zardari — had established a fund in the UK to collect donation from overseas Pakistanis and others.
Mr Babar said the media should not criticise politicians because the role of politicians in flood relief operation, other than their individual donations, was commendable.
The collective generosity shown by Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and their family is said to be about Rs25 million in kind, and nothing in cash. “Sharif family has sent relief goods amounting to Rs25 million to flood-hit areas. Senator Ishaq Dar has deposited Rs10 million,” said PML-N spokesman Siddiqul Farooq.
He criticised President Zardari for contributing a meagre amount of Rs5 million.
Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan of the PML-N, is reported to have urged his party members to donate to the Punjab chief minister’s relief fund instead of the prime minister’s.
Zahid Mehmood Khan, MQM’s leader in Punjab, said that Mr Hussain had contributed Rs5 million to the prime minister’s fund and the overall contribution of the party, both in cash and kind, stood at Rs70 million.
“We have sent relief goods to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab and are now planning to dispatch more goods to Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan,” he said.
The contribution of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf chief Imran Khan is Rs500,000. “Mr Khan donated Rs500,000 from his own pocket. He and the party are actively participating in fund-raising campaigns,” PTI’s spokesman Tahir Jamil said, adding that Mr Khan would take 300 trucks carrying relief goods to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday.
The contribution of PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and his family is said to be Rs25 million in kind. “Relief goods have been dispatched to Multan, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur and other parts of Punjab,” said Mustafa Malik, PML-Q’s deputy information secretary.
ANP chief Asfandaryar Wali has not deposited any cash in the relief fund and it could not be ascertained how mush he had contributed in kind.
“We don’t mention individual contributions because whatever we have contributed was from the party as a whole,” said ANP’s spokesman Senator Zahid Khan.
He said the ANP had held a donors’ conference in Islamabad and set up the Bacha Khan Trust for flood survivors.
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, too, has not coughed any cash, but he reportedly sent 30 trucks of relief goods to Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday.
“We have sent goods worth Rs24 million to the flood-hit areas,” said Hafiz Aleem, a spokesman for the JUI-F chief.
Maulana Fazl, who had urged members of his party and other people to prefer flood donation over Umrah or Haj this year, has recently performed Umrah. “Maulana Sahib returned to the country two days ago after performing Umrah,” said Senator Talha Mehmood, a leader of JUI-F.