ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said the country's wealthy residents should pay a one-time tax to help victims of Pakistan's floods.
"Unless we are prepared to share bread with our grief and disaster-stricken brethren, we should not expect others to help us," Zardari said in a Dawn News report.
At a meeting of women ministers, parliamentarians and representatives of non-governmental organizations, Zardari said he has already directed government officials to tap funding wherever possible.
"A one-time flood tax will have to be imposed on the well-off, and people of means, to help shore up relief and rehabilitation efforts," Zardari said.
Zardari said the funds would be disbursed transparently, and information about the disbursements would be made public.
Monsoon rains in July triggered massive flooding in Pakistan that put more than one-quarter of the country under water, killing hundreds and displacing millions.
