- DG ISPR says Army aviation units conducting aerial sorties to deliver supplies and evacuate residents from remote regions
- Says Army rescue teams evacuate 6,903 people have been treated stranded people in flood-affected areas
- Rescue, relief operations in flood-affected areas underway in a well-coordinated manner:Tarar
ISLAMABAD: Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry provided a summary of the efforts initiated by the military in the northern areas for monsoon rains.
Briefing the media alongside Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik, Lt-Gen Chaudhry said that Army aviation units are conducting aerial sorties to deliver supplies and evacuate residents from remote regions.
“Six sorties are scheduled for Tuesday, targeting inaccessible areas. In Buner, Swat, and Shangla, two battalions each have been deployed, while Frontier Corps wings are active in Bajaur and a company in Swabi,” the ISPR DG stated.
He said, “On the orders of Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, the army and additional units were mobilized in the flood-affected areas.”
He said that KP received eight units of Infantry and Frontier Constabulary (FC), who were directly involved in search and rescue and flood relief operations, while GB had one, taking the total to nine units.
He also said that one engineer brigade, two engineer battalions, and two urban search and rescue teams were deployed in KP, while two engineer battalions were sent to GB, where they were “working on road opening and removing landslides.”
“Three medical units were deployed in KP, while nine medical camps were deployed in GB. More than 6,304 people have been treated.”
“In search and rescue operations, 6,903 people have been rescued,” he added.
Gen Chaudhry also said that one-day rations were allocated, amounting to 585 tonnes, adding that army aviation was deployed to oversee medical casualty evacuation, emergencies, and transportation of food and medicine.
He highlighted that multiple bridges and roads were repaired, while the telecommunication infrastructure in affected areas, including Shangla and Buner, was being repaired alongside the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.
Speaking more specifically about affected regions, the DG ISPR said that the army deployed two battalions in Buner, two battalions in Shangla, one in Swat, one FC wing each in Bajaur and Dir, and one company in Swabi.
“These are dedicated resources … which were deployed 24 hours for flood relief rescue operations,” he said.
While speaking about logistics support, DG ISPR said that there were bases in Peshawar and Nowshera. “In Peshawar, there were 2,500 ready-to-eat meals and 20 tonnes of rations. In Nowshera, there are 5,000 ready-to-eat meals and 505 tonnes of rations,” he said, adding that they were being transported by road and helicopters.
He also highlighted that 90 roads were damaged in KP. Of those, nine roads were fully operational and 86 were partially restored, he added.
Mansehra, Battagram, Ghizer and Shigar were most affected in GB, he said, where two medical camps were established and distribution of rations was ongoing.
DG ISPR also commended the Pakistan Air Force for doing a “great job” in relief efforts and praised civil society groups operating from Karachi for providing relief.
Rescue, relief operation in flood-affected areas being carried out in a well-coordinated manner: Tarar
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said on Tuesday that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had categorically stated that it was a national catastrophe and all governments and departments will work collectively to overcome this tragedy.
He said that NDMA was providing all necessary information to provincial governments and concerned institutions in real time in a well-coordinated manner.
He said that in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, districts of Buner, Shangla, Bajaur and Swat power distribution system was disrupted.
He said on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Federal Minister for Power Sardar Awais Leghari was present in the flood-affected area to personally supervise the entire restoration process. Similarly, he said Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan Engineer Amir Muqam was in Bajaur whereas Minister for Communications Aleem Khan was supervising the restoration of the communication system in Gilgit.
Giving details of power system disruption, he 35 feeders were affected in Swat, out of which 25 have been restored, in Buner, nine feeders were affected out of which three have been restored, and work was underway on the remaining six feeders. Tarar said till now about 70 percent of electricity has been restored in the affected calamity-hit areas.
About road infrastructure, he said Malakand-Besham Road has been restored and Khazakhaila- Besham Highway (N-90) has been opened in Malakand Division.
He said that Armed Forces and the federal government were making all out efforts to restore the Astore bridge to reopen the Jaglot-Skardu Road.
He said it was ensured that major hospitals in affected areas should get an uninterrupted power supply. He said that about 1200 tents have been sent to calamity-hit areas.
He said a special team of doctors has been sent from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences for the treatment of the injured.
He said besides generators, dewatering pumps, more medicines, and tents have been sent.
Moreover, over five hundred medical camps have been established, and 40 tons of ration packs have been sent to urban flood victims.
