Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has instructed National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to work with provincial disaster control authorities to develop a coordinated program aimed at preventing events such as the recent Swat tragedy.
He made these comments during a visit to NDMA’s National Emergency Operations Center (Neoc) in Islamabad on Tuesday. He also directed the collection of comprehensive reports of such events and noted that about 49 people have lost their lives, with several others wounded, over Pakistan.
Registration of the advanced NEOC plant assured Sharif that the government would provide all necessary help to strengthen the institute and improve its capacity.
PM Shehbaz revealed that he is tasked with planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik to secure grants and investments rather than loans through public-private partnerships aimed at building resilient infrastructure in Pakistan.
He turned to water safety and expressed concern over India’s provocative actions regarding the Indus-Vand Treaty and announced that the government would construct non-controversial water storage facilities using Pakistan’s own resources.
PM further highlighted Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate change and noted that the country is now increasingly receptive to cloudbursts, despite contributing only to global greenhouse gas emissions.
He also emphasized that the recent destruction caused by sudden ice melting due to an unprecedented heat wave requires the highest level of emergency preparedness to mitigate future risks.
