PM Shehbaz orders assessment of flood damages for rehab plan

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed all provinces and relevant institutions to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the damages caused by the recent rains and floods so that an effective rehabilitation plan could be prepared.

Chairing a meeting in Islamabad, he praised the “timely and effective actions” taken by provincial chief ministers in response to the weather-related challenges, but stressed the need for coordinated efforts. He urged federal and interprovincial bodies to “collaborate closely to estimate the full extent of damages.”

PM Shehbaz said, assessments must account for human and financial losses as well as ‘the destruction of crops and losses in livestock.” He advised officials to seek satellite-based data from Suparco and called for immediate measures to protect crops against post-flood diseases.

He added that targeted efforts were needed to cultivate suitable crops in flood-affected areas and emphasised restoring infrastructure, with priority to repairing damaged roads. He directed all ministers and agencies to remain engaged with affected communities throughout the recovery process.

During the meeting, the chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and other officials briefed the PM on reconstruction and rehabilitation measures. He was also informed that damage assessments for sugarcane, cotton and rice crops are underway and expected to be completed within 15 days as water levels recede.

During monsoon rains and flash floods since June 26 across country, 998 people have lost their lives. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) recorded the highest casualties with 504 deaths, followed by Punjab with 283, Sindh 71, G-B 41, and Balochistan recorded 26 deaths.

Punjab topped the list of injured with 660 cases, while K-P reported 214, Sindh 87, Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) 52, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 37, and Balochistan five.

The calamity also caused widespread damage to properties. In K-P alone, 3,217 houses were damaged — 700 completely and 2,517 partially. Damage has also been reported in other regions: 2,411 houses in AJK, 1,260 in G-B, 1,009 in Balochistan, 281 in Sindh, and 238 in Punjab.