The Falahi Insaniat Foundation, allegedly the sister organisation of the banned Jamaat Uddawa, is milking the most out of the recent floods in Pakistan and the government's slow placed work.
The Khyber Pakthunkhwa government had recently announced that banned militant organisations would not be allowed to take advantage of the catastrophic situation in the province, however the FIF has been earning great sympathy from the public with its charity works.
Workers of the organisation reached flood-ravaged areas before the government machinery, rescued marooned people to camps and provided them with clothes, foods and medicines.
It is known that the organisation is run by JuD chief Hafiz Saeed. However, not surprisingly, the organisation denies its link with Saeed and the JuD.
Atiq Chauhan, the FIF spokesperson for KPK, said, "Some people call us as an offshoot of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba but the FIF is purely a welfare organisation that works to help protect the needy people of the country. Such allegations could not hinder our relief work and it will continue."
"The FIF is active since the floods hit KPK. We sent rescue teams with boats and skilled swimmers and rescued flood victims. After taking them to safer places we erected tents for the affected people, and now we are providing them with food, medicine, clothes and shelter," he added.
The organisation has been working in Malakand, Peshawar, Dera Ismail khan and Hazara areas of the KPK.
Though the government may resist help fearing people's support for terrorist groups, the JuD-backed FIF has already gained a lot of popularity.
Ahmed Jan, father of three children, who lives in the FIF camp at Newshehra said, "There was water all around us and I was sure we would die. But FIF workers rescued us. They brought us to the camp and the foundation now provides us with sufficient foods."
"The flood washed away my home situated on the bank of River Kabul. I managed to rescue my two children and came to the FIF Newshehra camp. The foundation is taking care of us, providing foods and medicine," Zareena Bibi, a widow, said.
At the beginning of Ramzan, the FIF gave a month's ration of food to every affected family in the KPK. The package consisted of two sacks of flour, 10 kg of rice, 7 kg of sugar, 1 kg of black tea, 2.5 kg of dates, salt and milk packets.
"Apart from the Ramadan package the FIF also delivers ready meals, as Iftari, to all flood victims living in Peshawar Motorway camp. If the FIF did not rescue us we would have died, as the government has not done anything for us," said Sheer Muhammad, a flood victim.
