Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday ordered authorities to expedite relief and rehabilitation operations for flood victims, emphasising that he will not rest until affected communities are fully rehabilitated.
Immediately after addressing the UN General Assembly in New York, PM Shehbaz chaired an important review meeting via video link to assess the latest flood situation and ongoing recovery measures.
Chief Secretaries of all four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir attended, while the Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) provided a comprehensive briefing on the status of relief efforts.
Thousands returning home, relief continues
According to the NDMA briefing, nearly 350,000 affected people have already returned to their homes from relief camps. However, some residents in Sindh are still housed in temporary shelters.
Officials noted that floodwaters are receding rapidly, paving the way for more families to return home soon. Victims are being provided with rations and other assistance, with the Punjab government praised for its rehabilitation efforts.
Focus on farmers and crops
The meeting also discussed the severe damage to crops and the rehabilitation needs of farmers. The PM instructed officials to finalize a comprehensive damage assessment report within a week to guide relief and recovery planning.
He stressed that relief operations must be accelerated further to ensure that no family is left behind in the recovery process.
Directives for infrastructure and health
Shehbaz Sharif directed the National Highway Authority (NHA) to immediately repair the damaged section of the M-5 motorway at Jalalpur Pirwala and expedite rehabilitation of other affected routes.
He also ordered urgent steps to control water-borne diseases in flood-hit areas, warning that timely medical action is essential to prevent outbreaks.
PM Shehbaz instructed Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal to hold regular review meetings on relief and rehabilitation, while the NDMA was told to extend full cooperation to provinces and their respective disaster management authorities.
