Pak floods have hit infrastructure, weakened democracy, pressurised Army: Report

NEW YORK - The destruction caused by the devastating floods in Pakistan have not only left hundreds of people killed and thousands homeless, but it has also broken the back of the country’s infrastructure which could set it back by years.

The deluge has wreaked havoc across the country with waging flood waters washing off roads, bridges, schools and hospitals, apart from inflicting heavy damages to the electricity and communication lines.

The catastrophe, which has been stamped as the country’s worst natural disaster ever, could have far reaching effects weakening its already fragile democratic set up and increasing the pressure on the ‘powerful’ military.

“The destruction could set Pakistan back many years, if not decades, further weaken its feeble civilian administration and add to the burdens on its military,” a report in The New York Times said.

“It seems certain to distract from American requests for Pakistan to battle Taliban insurgents, who threatened foreign aid workers delivering flood relief on Thursday. It is already disrupting vital supply lines to American forces in Afghanistan,” it added.

According to the United Nations (UN) nearly 20 million people, and about one-fifth of the country, an area larger than England, have been affected by the floods, which could take years of genuine effort to put the infrastructure back on track.

“You have to highlight that the infrastructure all the way from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to Sindh is ruined,” said Commander Iqbal Zahid, a Pakistani Navy commander-in-charge of rescue operations in the Sindh province.

“It will take years to rebuild,” Zahid said.

The Swat Valley, where the rebuilding process following the army operation was still on, has lost every bridge and whole sections of its roads.

A number of hydroelectric dams in country’s north, which are being built by China, have also been damaged, could spell trouble for the country, which was already facing massive electricity deficit. (ANI)