- PM Shehbaz directs NDMA to ensure early warnings as Ravi, Chenab and Sutlej swell
- Orders close coordination with provinces for swift rescue and relief operations
- NDMA chairman briefs PM on rising water levels and ongoing relief measures
- President Zardari terms floods a ‘human tragedy’ requiring urgent solidarity
- Punjab Governor briefs president on relief efforts in Lahore, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Narowal, and other districts
BEIJING/ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday separately reviewed the worsening flood situation in the country, with both leaders urging urgent preparedness, early warnings, and solidarity to confront the looming crisis triggered by swollen rivers and unseasonal rains.
From Beijing, where he is on an official visit, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif telephoned National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik and directed him to ensure full preparedness for rescue and relief operations amid rising water levels in Ravi, Chenab, and Sutlej rivers. He instructed NDMA to issue timely early warnings to the public and maintain close coordination with provincial governments to expedite safety measures.
The NDMA chairman briefed him on the evolving flood situation, ongoing relief operations, and the latest hydrological assessments.
Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari held a detailed discussion with Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider on the devastating impact of floods across the province. Calling it a human tragedy demanding urgent response, the president stressed that Pakistan was facing unprecedented challenges due to climate change and appealed for international solidarity, urging the global community to stand with Pakistan in confronting the destructive consequences.
Governor Haider apprised the president of relief measures underway, highlighting that the Pakistan Red Crescent Society had expanded its services to most districts of Punjab, including Lahore, Hafizabad, Kasur, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Narowal, and Mandi Bahauddin.
Relief camps have been established, while a water treatment plant is being set up in Kartarpur to ensure safe drinking water for residents. He added that officials and volunteers were reaching out directly to affected families to provide assistance.
President Zardari praised these efforts and reiterated that flood-hit communities would not be left alone. “Swollen rivers and unseasonal rains have created a looming threat of food insecurity across the region,” he warned, noting that Pakistan, despite contributing nothing to the global climate crisis, continued to pay a heavy price.
