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MULTAN: Director General of the Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Saif Anwar Jappa, met Additional Chief Secretary South Punjab, Fawad Hashim Rabbani, at the South Punjab Secretariat to review the ongoing monsoon situation and flood relief operations across the region. During the meeting, the Additional Chief Secretary congratulated Saif Anwar Jappa on his appointment as DG PDMA and expressed his best wishes for his new role. The PDMA chief gave a detailed briefing on the current flood and weather situation, as well as the relief measures being undertaken in affected areas. He said the authority, in coordination with all relevant departments, has accelerated rescue and relief operations in response to the ongoing monsoon emergency. Jappa said dewatering efforts, ration distribution and rescue activities are continuing in flood-affected areas. He added that teams are actively working to drain water from urban flood zones and restore damaged roads to ensure public access and safety. He further said all district administrations and emergency control rooms have been placed on high alert around the clock to respond swiftly to any developing situation. The PDMA is also using modern technology, including drones, to deliver life jackets and emergency relief supplies to inaccessible areas during emergencies, he said. According to the DG PDMA, priority is being given to identifying flood relief camps in vulnerable districts and ensuring the timely provision of food, clean drinking water, dry fodder for livestock and other essential supplies to affected families. Additional Chief Secretary Fawad Hashim Rabbani directed authorities to maintain strict monitoring of water flows in flood-prone areas of South Punjab and ensure timely preventive measures. He said the completion of two new protective embankments at Jalalpur Pirwala in a record period, under the directions of the Punjab government, has played a significant role in protecting the city from floodwaters. Rabbani also instructed officials to ensure the immediate evacuation of people living in riverine and low-lying areas where flood risks remain high. He further directed that rescue and relief teams remain fully prepared in the hilly areas of Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur to respond promptly to any emergencies caused by flash floods and hill torrents during the ongoing monsoon season.

Families of crew members killed in a cargo aircraft crash in the Arabian Sea have called for an immediate search for the aircraft’s wreckage and black box in the deep sea. The families also complained that authorities and the company involved have not provided adequate assistance in obtaining death certificates and completing other legal formalities for their deceased relatives. They urged the government to intervene and help resolve these issues. Speaking at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, the victims’ families said more than 40 days had passed since the crash, but they had seen little progress in efforts to locate the missing parts of the aircraft. They said the prolonged lack of information had increased their distress and created the impression that the victims had been forgotten. The families called for the search operation to be resumed as soon as possible, particularly for the aircraft’s black box, cockpit and other major wreckage believed to be lying on the seabed. The aircraft, a Boeing 737 operated by private cargo company K2 Airways, crashed into deep waters off the Balochistan coast on July 7 while travelling from Sharjah to Karachi. Some wreckage was recovered from the crash area, but the aircraft’s black box, cockpit and the remains of the crew members have not yet been located. The families demanded that the authorities seek assistance from international companies and foreign experts specialising in deep-sea recovery operations. They also called for greater cooperation from the company’s owners and relevant government institutions, saying families should not be left to deal with legal and administrative difficulties on their own. The victims’ relatives said they wanted a transparent investigation into the crash and a serious effort to recover the remaining wreckage and flight data recorder.