Sharif Government Excludes Imran Khan's Party From Conference on Devastating Floods in Pakistan

Pakistan's governing coalition has accused former Prime Minister Imran Khan of campaigning by carrying out public rallies across the country amid devastating floods. The PTI leader has countered the allegations, saying his campaign aims to bring absolute freedom to the country, and public rallies will continue despite the floods.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reportedly excluded the country's largest political party and the main opposition, Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), from the All Parties Conference (APC) over the disastrous floods in the country.

The channel Geo News reported that the other political parties, including Pakistan Democratic Alliance members, will attend the conference chaired by the prime minister to discuss measures to tackle the flood-induced crisis affecting over 45 million people.

Amid the confrontation with the governing coalition, Imran Khan also called a separate meeting of party leaders on Monday to review the flood situation. The political leaders will also brief Khan on hundreds of cases filed against PTI workers across the country.

Khan has planned an international telethon fundraiser for flood victims on Monday night.

The PTI described the government as "incompetent and disgraceful" as it said governing politicians are engaged in photoshoots amid the flooding catastrophe.

Countering the allegations, Pakistan's Minister of Finance Miftah Ismail said that Imran Khan's "lust for power knows no bounds."

The federal government has launched a scathing attack on the PTI for holding rallies despite the fact that over 45 million people have been affected by the devastating floods across the country.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani government has sought help from the international community, including multilateral institutions, to assist the cash-strapped country. Preliminary assessment suggests that the floods have dealt a blow costing at least $10 billion to the economy.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari hoped that the International Monetary Fund would recognize the impact of the floods when discussing the bailout package in the coming days.

"Going forward, I would expect not only the IMF, but the international community and international agencies to truly grasp the level of devastation," he said.

The United Nations will launch an international appeal for Pakistani flood victims on Tuesday in Islamabad. A few cargo planes carrying relief materials from Turkey and the UAE reached the South Asian nation on Monday as friendly countries have pledged more assistance in the coming days.

According to the National Disaster Management Authority, 1,067 people were killed in the devastating floods. Chief of the Army Staff Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa said that it might take years for the country to recover from the damage caused by the floods.