ISLAMABAD, Oct 3: The claims made by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), that the Shehbaz Sharif-led government mismanaged $400 million in flood relief funds have been noted by the US, media reports said.
US State Department spokesman Mathew Miller addressed the issue at a press briefing, emphasising how seriously the US takes the situation, The Express Tribune reported.
“Not only in Pakistan but anywhere that American taxpayer dollars are used and where there are pressing humanitarian interests at stake, we take this matter very seriously,” Miller said.
He went on to emphasise that USAID and the State Department have strict procedures in place to monitor and assess how help is utilised and that funding will be stopped if it is shown to be misdirected or abused.
Bilawal earlier said that the federal government had allotted the flood relief money for unrelated uses.
Bilawal said he obtained the $400 million in loans and assistance from the World Bank, but the federal government withheld the money, saying it money would be utilised for different initiatives.
He insisted that the money be distributed correctly and chastised the administration for failing to build houses for flood victims.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, stated a few days ago at a Quetta event that Sindh and Balochistan should receive the federal share as they are receiving unjust treatment. (UNI)
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