ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed provinces and federal institutions to carry out a thorough assessment of the destruction caused by recent rains and floods in order to prepare a comprehensive rehabilitation strategy.
Presiding over a meeting in Islamabad, he commended provincial governments for their timely response but emphasized the need for coordinated efforts across all levels. He instructed authorities to evaluate human and financial losses along with the devastation of crops and livestock. The premier also urged the use of satellite data from Suparco to ensure accuracy in damage reporting and called for urgent steps to protect fields from post-flood diseases.
Shehbaz underscored the importance of targeted crop cultivation in affected regions, swift repair of damaged roads, and constant engagement of officials with impacted communities. Briefings from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) highlighted that surveys of sugarcane, cotton, and rice fields are underway and expected to conclude within two weeks as floodwaters recede.
Since June 26, monsoon rains and flash floods have claimed 998 lives nationwide. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has recorded the highest toll with 504 deaths, followed by Punjab with 283, Sindh 71, Gilgit-Baltistan 41, and Balochistan 26. Injuries total in the thousands, with Punjab alone reporting 660 cases.
The calamity has also destroyed thousands of homes. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa reported damage to more than 3,200 houses, while Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan, Sindh, and Punjab have each recorded hundreds of structures either partially or completely ruined.
