As the fervour of campaigning intensifies for the upcoming General Elections 2024, a significant portion of the population, the displaced flood victims, remains overlooked. Spread across the country with shattered homes and lost identification documents, many of these individuals are eligible voters facing obstacles in participating in the democratic process.
Abdul Jabbar, a resident of a Larkana village, shared the challenges faced by his family after their house was destroyed during heavy rainfall and flooding in 2022. Despite the promised financial assistance from the last PPP government, Jabbar’s home remains unreconstructed, rendering his family displaced and unable to cast their votes in the elections.
Gulab Jamali, another flood victim from Larkana, highlighted the plight of his family members who lost their CNICs during the floods, making it difficult for them to obtain new ones due to the distant location of the NADRA center.
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According to Rehmatullah Buriro, an analyst and social worker, 10 to 15 percent of the flood-affected population may be unable to vote as they lack their misplaced CNICs.
A survey by the Center for Peace and Development Initiatives revealed that after the 2022 floods, many affected families in Khairpur and Naushahro Feroze have not returned to their registered voting areas due to the destruction of over 400,000 houses and a compromised road network.
With polling stations typically set up in government schools, the damage to at least 40 percent of government school buildings in Sindh adds to the voting challenges. Despite funds allocated by the caretaker government for school repairs, the state of the road network impedes voters in the affected areas from reaching polling stations on time.
Naseer Memon, a renowned columnist and social activist, emphasized the difficulties voters face in accessing polling stations due to the damaged road network after a recent visit to flood-affected areas. Senior journalist Riaz Sohail echoed concerns about the upcoming elections, anticipating the impact of the ongoing challenges faced by the flood victims.
