LAHORE-With worst humanitarian crisis unfolding in the country, its top political leaders are leaving for abroad one after the other on either official or private trips. With Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani not rising to the occasion or making his presence felt during the entire crisis, with more and more people being displaced due to military operation in Malakand and Swat, it is now learnt that President Zardari who is in US on an official visit has extended his stay abroad. He is going to UK and France before returning to Pakistan. The President was scheduled to return early this week. He is issuing an appeal from the US, asking the world to come forward and help the displaced people of NWFP instead of dashing back home to take stock of the situation and doing the needful. Nawaz Sharif, the Quaid of PML (N), another popular leader, is the one who left for Dubai on Monday night. Before him, his brother Shahbaz Sharif, the Chief Minister of Punjab too has gone to Iran on an official visit for as long as five days. The presence of Shahbaz Sharif could make a lot of difference in mitigating the problems of the diasporas of Swat people. Nawaz Sharif paid a token visit to a refugee camp in Mardan before leaving for Dubai. He is scheduled to participate in a marriage ceremony and is the guest of a Royal family there. With Nawaz and Shahbaz out of the country, the entire top leadership of PML (N) would be away from the country as the crisis in the NWFP turns from bad to worse, and more and more people would be becoming shelterless, struggling for their lives after being deprived of all their belongings and valuables, let alone the basics necessities of life. Punjab Governor Salman Taseer too seems to have thought why should he lag behind. So he too has gone to Dubai on a private visit. Already, he had nothing much to do here back home. The crisis, billed by the world humanitarian agencies as the biggest man-made humanitarian disaster in Pakistans post-independence history, has erupted at time when the world is taking dim view of Pakistans leadership and its institutions. The US govt finds even Pakistans survival at stake. As the army operation continues, already thousands of the displaced and wretched people are languishing in the camps in the scorching heat while more and more people want to flee but find it hard to get transport. In such circumstances, the people want to see their main leaders in action and not abroad. The Prime Minister is very much in the country. He even refused to go to Jordan where he was due to attend a conference last week. Yet he seems unequal to the task at hand so far as the govt has been trying to handle the unfolding crisis in the NWFP. We do not see even the govt top functionaries including Ministers visiting the crisis-hit people in order to see for themselves the problems being faced by them. Probably, the security concerns are stopping these high-flying personalities to visit these camps. Unfortunately, the spirit, exhibited by the political leadership in the wake of earthquake that jolted NWFP and Kashmir in October 2007 is missing this time. We hardly see the political leadership mobilising their cadres and general public to come out and help the crisis-hit people, who have their eyes fixed on the govt in the hope that it would at least provide to them their basic needs. The NWFP govt is making appeal after appeal for help, yet the people are not forthcoming to these calls, as if falling on deaf ears. For political leadership, such disastrous situations are always the right time to practically prove their mettle and commitment to the people they represent. With bigwigs away from the country, the people are very much concerned about the prevailing situation and are already questioning as to who is managing the affairs?.