PM orders aid for rain and flood victims
LAHORE: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered the immediate provision of financial assistance to families affected by recent monsoon rains and floods across Pakistan, while directing authorities to speed up relief and rehabilitation efforts.
Chairing a meeting in Lahore on Saturday to review the ongoing response, the prime minister instructed that compensation be provided to families who lost loved ones and to owners of houses that were completely or partially damaged by the severe weather.
Shehbaz also called for the swift restoration of electricity transmission networks and roads in affected areas. Federal ministers and senior officials were directed to personally visit impacted regions, assess the damage and oversee rehabilitation work.
The prime minister further ordered authorities to accelerate the delivery of food and other essential relief supplies to areas that remain difficult to access. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and provincial disaster management authorities were told to maintain full preparedness as more rain and flooding are forecast.
Officials briefed the meeting that around 615 tonnes of relief supplies had already been dispatched to monsoon-hit areas, with additional consignments being arranged. Authorities also reported that flood-affected residents had been moved to safer locations across all affected areas.
Restoration efforts are underway in Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, while disaster management teams remain on standby for any further emergencies.
The meeting was also informed that early warning systems in the northern areas are operational and have helped authorities evacuate residents to safer locations ahead of potential flooding.