Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday instructed National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to upscale relief and rescue operations across flood regions in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), as the death tal 189 in the last 24 hours.
A special emergency cell has also been established in the Prime Minister’s office to ensure 24/7 coordination of relief efforts and monitor the evolving situation.
Chairman of an emergency meeting to review the damage caused by monsoon rains and cloudbursts in northern Pakistan, ordered the Prime Minister NDMA to maintain close coordination with provincial governments, especially KP, to speed up rescue operations and supply essential supplies.
“The protection of human life is the highest priority,” Prime Minister Shehbaz said, instructing authorities to ensure that the rapid dispatch of emergency care products – including tents, food and medicine – on a priority basis. He also instructed the evacuation of stranded individuals, including tourists, from affected areas to safer places without delay.
Read more: Torrential Rains Claim 189 Living in KP, Five Die in Rescue Helicopter Accident
NDMA -President LT Gen Inam Haider Malik briefed the meeting on the extent of injuries and ongoing response operations. The prime minister was informed that several regions had been affected by cloudbursts and flash flashes, which seriously affects the infrastructure and displacement results of the residents.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said NDMA’s Command and Control Center operates around the clock and that early warning systems continue to provide real-time updates to KP, AJK and other provincial authorities.
“The Prime Minister has visited the NDMA -headquarters three times during the current Monsun Tull Form to personally monitor the situation,” he said, adding that all federal institutions were fully mobilized in the affected areas.
Later, the prime minister with KP Governor Faisal Karim Karim Kundi and chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur spoke and expressed grief over the loss of life due to flooding and lightning. He assured both officials for full federal support, including the immediate delivery of important supplies. “In this difficult hour, our sympathy and support with the affected families is,” he said.
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Since the beginning of the monsoon in late June, Pakistan has registered over 350 deaths due to rain, landslide and flooding, with KP among the hardest hit regions. Officials fear further losses as the MET Office forecasts continued rainfall over the province until at least 21 August.
Pakistan remains among the countries that are most vulnerable to climate change. Experts warn that extreme weather events – including flash floods, heat waves and droughts – become more frequent and intense due to global warming.
Climate scientists say such events become more frequent and intense due to global climate change. Pakistan remains among the countries that are most vulnerable to its effects, with communities across the country that are now facing increasingly serious and unpredictable weather patterns.
