MUZAFARGARH, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- Many Pakistani living in southern Punjab’s cities affected by the devastating floods are being helped by the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA).

A Pakistani boy 'sailing' down a flooded street (Photo: AFP)

And we can reveal that this much-needed aid is being given to people from various different religious backgrounds.

This news was revealed to the ASSIST News Service by Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan's Federal Minister for Minorities’ Affairs and the head of APMA, in an exclusive interview.

Mr. Bhatti, himself a Christian, explained in the interview that “the masses living in appalling conditions” were being helped by APMA “beyond the religious boundaries” and “purely on the humanitarian grounds.”

He stated that already APMA has distributed more than 1,000 gift packages worth more than US$47,365.31. Each gift pack is worth about US$47.36, he said.

Shahbaz Bhatti on the right

Mr. Bhatti said that a gift pack included food items, medicine, an hygienic kit and utensils, and these were being distributed amongst Christians, Hindus and Muslims who live in the affected areas of Multan, Muzaffargarh, Jampur, Khan Bailaan and Rajan Pur, all in southern Punjab,

Shahbaz Bhatti said he moved into action after being “overwhelmed with the grief stricken scenes of devastation and misery of the flood victims.”

The APMA chief also announced that he is initiate]ing a survey so that his group can register all flood stricken Christians and other religious minorities.

Christian provincial legislator, Tahir Naveed Chaudhary, also accompanied Mr. Bhatti for the interview, said that APMA has “deputed relief teams” to all the flood affected areas of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Sindh.

The Pakistan Army handing out aid to flood victims

Replying to my question, Bhatti said these APMA relief teams would "trace and ensure provision of essential, proper and regular support" to all flood victims “irrespective of their color, caste and creed.”

He added that a coordinator is now being appointed in each province to "supervise the relief and rescue activities" of the APMA flood relief teams.

Bhatti also said that the APMA planned to move into the inundated areas of Sindh province particularly the most affected areas/cities of Shikar Pur, Sukkher and Thatha from where more than 1 million people have vacated their homes due to the expected flood because of the possible breaches or overflow of a nearby dam.

“I have seen terrible scenes of sorrow, pain and sadness,” he told ANS. “I have witnessed babies crying for milk as they lay in the laps of their helpless mothers and also seen hapless fathers frustrated because they felt they had failed to provide shelter and other necessities for their families.”

Shahbaz Bhatti said that although government and other NGOs were providing help to all flood victims irrespective of their faith, even then their efforts were “less than the required.”

In his interview, the Federal Minister once again appealed all international donors and Pakistani donors to not only to pray, but also to extend their hand and help APMA provide the flood affected masses with all kind of help “without any discrimination."

All donors can get more information about how they can help with this vital aid by sending an e-mail to: apmapk@gmail.com

Jawad Mazhar is a Pakistani journalist specializing in writing about Christian persecution. He was born on November 28, 1976 at Sargodha's village Chak and raised in Sargodha, a city in Pakistan’s Punjab province. He earned his Bachelors Degree from Allama Iqbal Open University majoring in computer sciences and has taught at various educational institutes in his country. He is also involved with “Rays of Development,” an organization working for minority rights in Pakistan. He says, “My aim is to help eradicate Christian persecution through my writing as I bring the plight of these brave people under the spotlight of the whole world.”