- Abdul Aleem Khan reviews Jalalpur Pirwala damage, saying floodwater spreads 20 km along M-5
- Says NHA, Punjab govt working jointly to protect Jalalpur Pirwala city, urging stronger embankments, blames weak preparedness of departments
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan on Thursday visited Jalalpur Pirwala to review the damage caused by three weeks of flooding to the Multan-Sukkur Motorway (M-5) and to assess ongoing rehabilitation efforts.
During the visit, he chaired a high-level meeting attended by Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, provincial ministers, Federal Secretary for Communications, Chairman National Highway Authority (NHA), Commissioner Multan Division, and senior officials from concerned departments, according to a press release.
Briefing the meeting, officials reported that floodwaters had spread along both sides of the M-5 for nearly 20 kilometers. The minister noted that while breaching parts of the motorway was a difficult decision, protecting human lives and property had to take precedence. “Saving Jalalpur Pirwala city remains our foremost priority, and the NHA is working shoulder-to-shoulder with the Punjab government,” he emphasized, assuring that the federal institutions would fully support any decision taken by the provincial authorities.
Expressing deep sorrow over the losses in and around Multan, Abdul Aleem Khan stressed the need to draw lessons from the disaster by constructing stronger embankments and ensuring that relevant departments—particularly the Irrigation Department—carry out preventive measures in advance.
The meeting was further informed that additional controlled breaches of the motorway might become necessary. For this purpose, NESPAK, the Irrigation Department, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines, Water Services, and other agencies were coordinating closely. A special technical committee was also constituted to monitor the situation round-the-clock and recommend immediate measures.
Alongside Abdul Aleem Khan, Punjab ministers Khawaja Salman Rafique, Rana Sikandar Hayat, Sohaib Barth, and Mian Kazim Pirzada also addressed the meeting.
Later in Multan, the federal minister visited the residence of Member National Assembly and Chairman of the Kashmir Committee Rana Qasim Noon in Shujaabad. The two leaders discussed the flood damages in South Punjab as well as national political developments, including the recently signed Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Defense Agreement. Rana Qasim Noon appreciated the timely actions taken by NHA and welcomed the minister’s visit.
