Buner:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday visited the flooded hit districts in Swat, Buner, Shangla and Swabi, where he stressed that any available national resource will be mobilized to accelerate the restoration efforts and restore normality in the affected areas.
The Prime Minister was accompanied by the federal ministers and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, a press release issued by the PM office.
Prime Minister and Coas received a comprehensive briefing on the ongoing rescue and relief in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
During their interaction with flood victims, the Prime Minister assured them of the federal government and the Pakistani army’s unshakable obligation to extend maximum support during this critical hour.
The Prime Minister valued, although they appreciated the tireless dedication of the armed forces and civil administration, solidarity with the flooded population and assured them for all help.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also attracted attention to the illegal interventions, timber and mining / crushing activities, especially in waterways that contribute a lot to loss of life and damage. He instructed Pakistan to act as a tough state where no one is above the law and necessary actions taken against defaults without difference.
Coas also interacted with troops, police and civil administrative staff involved in rescue efforts and praises their selfless obligation to help victims of flooding and heavy rain. COAs instructed land formations to approach this responsibility with the greatest affection and not save any efforts to relieve the difficulties of flood -affected families.
He emphasized that the security and relief of the citizens remain the greatest priority and praises the forces and civil administration for their tireless service.
Previously, the Prime Minister and participants also offered Fateha to those who lost their lives in this catostrophe.
Later, the Prime Minister paid relief control among the victims of recent heavy rain and flooding.
The prime minister related to the participants expressed the prime minister deep grief over the destruction caused by recent cloudbursts and heavy rain in different parts of the country and said that these natural accidents had resulted in the loss of many lives and properties.
The Prime Minister mentioned that events with cloudbursts took place in Swat, Buner, Shangla and Swabi.
In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) alone, about 350 people were martyred and hundreds of others sustained injuries, he said, adding that more than 700 people lost their lives everywhere due to rain and floods across the country.
When he was reminiscent of the floods in 2022, he noted that hundreds of thousands of hectares of crops were destroyed and countless homes were washed away in Sindh. At that time, the federal government announced $ 100 billion to support the victims and rebuild the affected areas.
He emphasized that today, with the support of all stakeholders, the government was fully obliged to face this new challenge. He said he had issued clear instructions that roads and infrastructure should be repaired, whether falling under provincial or federal jurisdiction.
The prime minister said the federal ministers were currently engaged in relief activities in KP. In addition, the Prime Minister announced seven days of free electricity to those affected and corrected immediate repairs of damaged road infrastructure.
When highlighting the basic causes of such destruction, the prime minister pointed out that hotels and houses were often constructed on natural waterways that worsened the effect of flooding.
He emphasized the urgent need to deter such a construction and called for the development of policies and laws to prevent building on illegal land, especially along water channels, to avoid future disasters.
He said that although the government was already engaged in the fight against terrorists and Khawarij in KP, this natural disaster had added another layer of challenge. However, he emphasized that all stakeholders, including the government, armed forces and civil society, worked together to help with relief and restoration efforts.
He reiterated that Pakistan is a home with four units and that there should be no policy in times of such a national crisis.
He appreciated the efforts of chief minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin and the armed forces who worked extensively to help with relief. He also acknowledged the support of Field Marshal Asim Munir, during whose cooperation the government strived to stabilize the country’s economy.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan was among the 10 worst affected countries of the effects of climate change.
He pointed out that deforestation also contributes to cloudbursts and emphasized the importance of preserving forests to reduce the effect of future natural disasters.
