Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that the federal cabinet is donating a month’s salary in support of flood-affected communities in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
He gave the message while chaired a meeting in Islamabad on Monday to review the ongoing relief efforts in flood areas in KP, Gilgit-Baltista (GB) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The Prime Minister promised full federal support for affected communities. “Helping our distressed Pakistani brothers and sisters is our national responsibility,” he said.
According to the Prime Minister’s Emergency Aid Package, financial assistance will be provided for the deceased’s families and those affected by the floods. The Kashmir and GB Minister of Minister’s engineer Amir Muqam has been tasked with overseeing relief and rehabilitation operations.
Sharif instructed federal ministers to personally monitor the restoration of electricity, water supply, roads and other important services. “All relevant ministers must remain in the affected areas until the last person gets help, while basic infrastructure is restored,” he said.
He directed National Highway Authority, Ministry of Communications and Frontier Works Organization to prioritize the repair and maintenance of highways and bridges in the flood areas.
The premiere also instructed the Ministry of Health to send medical teams and establish camps, while the Benazir income support program will be mobilized to help flood victims.
A briefing during the meeting noted that the federal and provincial governments, the Pakistani army and other institutions have established 456 emergency relief camps and conducted 400 rescue operations so far. Auxiliary cars that carry important goods are sent with priority for the most affected areas.
Read more: Results swept away as cloudburst, landslides destroy in KPS Swabi
According to preliminary estimates, damage to public and private property has exceeded RS126 million. National Disaster Management Authority presented a report on ration, tents, medicine and other important supplies. The prime minister instructed the amount of emergency aids to be increased.
PM Shehbaz was informed that the Monsun season is expected to continue until the second week of September, with six large spell forms already gone and two expected potentially affect flood areas until the last week of September.
Ministers informed about local situations included Muqam about SWAT, Awais Leghari about KP, Mubarak Zeb at Bajaur and officials from National Highway Authority and Ministers of Communications on Malakand and Gilgit.
