PM directs NDMA to avert urban flooding, orders swift coordination in Punjab’s flood-hit areas

• Premier Shehbaz chairs emergency meeting to review flood risk in Chenab, Sutlej and Ravi rivers
• NDMA briefs prime minister on preemptive evacuations, relief supplies and high-risk points
• Ministers, NHA chief rushed to Lahore to ensure power, roads and communications stay functional
• Sindh asked to prepare early evacuation plans as water flows rise downstream
• Defence Minister Kh Asif visits Sialkot’s Nullah Aik, assures people of government’s full support

  ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and all relevant institutions to take immediate measures to prevent potential urban flooding in Lahore, Sialkot, and Gujrat as heavy rains and rising water flows in Punjab’s rivers raised the risk of inundation, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported (APP). Chairing an emergency meeting on the evolving flood situation, the prime minister emphasized the need for stronger coordination between NDMA and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab to ensure timely warnings, early evacuations, and uninterrupted relief supplies. He stressed that effective information-sharing was critical to minimizing loss of life and property, said a statement issued from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). NDMA Chairman Lt-Gen Inam Haider Malik briefed the meeting on the situation in Chenab, Sutlej, and Ravi rivers, where high inflows were being reported. He informed that preemptive evacuations had begun in vulnerable villages, safe relocation points were being established, and relief goods including tents were being dispatched to affected areas. Supplies of food, medicines, and other essentials would follow, he added.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed the National Disaster Management Authority to take immediate measures to address potential urban flooding in Lahore, Sialkot and Gujrat, besides continuing its early warning and relief efforts.#ShehbazSharif #PMShehbazSharif… pic.twitter.com/rXU84mFsNE

— APP (@appcsocialmedia) August 27, 2025

The prime minister directed the ministers for communications and energy, secretary energy, and the NHA chairman to rush to Lahore and extend full support to Punjab authorities in maintaining power supply, road connectivity, and communication channels in flood-affected districts. He assured that, as in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during recent flooding, the federal government would stand fully behind Punjab in this crisis. PM Shehbaz also called for early flood warnings for Sindh, directing elected representatives and local administrations to ensure timely evacuations, safeguard crops and livestock, and closely monitor relief efforts. “Protection of human lives and livelihoods is our foremost priority,” he said, urging officials to resolve issues at the district and tehsil levels through joint efforts of provincial and federal agencies. During the briefing, the NDMA warned of high-level flooding risk at Head Marala and Khanki due to surging flows in the Chenab River, while pressure was also mounting in the Ravi at Jastar and Shahdara, and in the Sutlej at Ganda Singh Wala and Sulemanki. Monitoring was being carried out at other key points including Khanki, Balloki and Qadirabad. Rescue 1122, Civil Defence, Rangers, PDMA, and police were already deployed in vulnerable areas, with army personnel assisting in preemptive evacuations to mitigate damage. The meeting was attended by federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Awais Ahmad Leghari, Dr. Musadik Malik, Attaullah Tarar, Ahad Khan Cheema, NDMA chairman, and senior government officials. Kh Asif reviews situation in Sialkot Meanwhile, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif visited Nullah Aik and surrounding low-lying areas in Sialkot, where heavy rains had raised flood risks. Accompanied by MPAs Manshaullah Butt and Chaudhry Faisal Ikram, he reviewed the drainage system and directed civic agencies to take immediate measures to protect residents. “I am here among the people and will ensure the provision of all possible relief,” he said, assuring that the government and administration stood firmly by the citizens in this difficult time.