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ISLAMABAD: Amid a blame game and fiduciary concerns, the government has quietly restructured the Rs115 billion World Bank-funded post-flood rehabilitation project, depriving more than 134,000 verified flood-affected families in Balochistan of the resilient homes they were promised.
Official documents and background discussions indicate that investigations were underway into alleged record tampering, duplicate claims and multiple payments for the same housing units. There were also recorded attempts to disrupt such probes.
The project steering committee (PSC), led by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, has now capped the $155 million housing component of the $400m Integrated Flood Resilience & Adaptation Project (IFRAP) at about 69,000 homes. The World Bank has consequently dropped its proposed $180m additional financing that could have extended reconstruction to the remaining affected families.
After the devastating 2022 floods, Pakistan secured more than $9bn in international pledges at the January 2023 Geneva Conference. IFRAP was designed to rebuild homes in Balochistan through a community-led, owner-driven model. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had publicly promised a resilient house for every family that lost one. Yet at its June 22-23 meeting, the PSC unanimously redirected the remaining housing funds towards roads and irrigation and formally declined additional World Bank financing.
