PM urges swift payout to K-P rain victims

Prime Minister says federal government supports K-P people in crisis, assures maximum aid

PESHAWAR:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed the authorities concerned to ensure payment of compensation to the owners of houses damaged by rains and snowfall in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) till March 11.

The prime minister issued the directives while presiding over a high-level meeting at the Governor House to review damages caused by the recent rains and snowfall in K-P and rescue and rehabilitation efforts.

Besides others, the meeting was attended by Senator Ishaq Dar, Members of the National Assembly Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Attaullah Tarar, Engr Amir Muqam and Murtaza Javed Abbasi, and National Disasters Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik.

The prime minister was also given a detailed briefing on the measures taken by the provincial administration, Provincial Disaster Management Authority, NDMA and National Highway Authority.

It was informed that a total of 40 persons were killed and 62 injured in the rain-related incidents across the province. Similarly, 635 houses were completely or partially damaged.

On the prime minister’s directives, the compensation of Rs2 million each to the heirs of each deceased and Rs500,000 each to the injured, besides Rs700,000 each for fully damaged and Rs350,000 partially damaged houses, was being given.

Read also: PM announces relief for rain-hit Balochistan

It was further informed that all main highways in the affected areas were partially opened as work on clearing landslides and snow was still underway.

The meeting was told that all the departments were fully prepared to cope with any emergency situation that might arise due to expected snowfall in next few days.

The prime minister said that the federal government stood with the affected people of K-P in the hour of hardship and would provide them maximum support.

He directed all the relevant organisations and departments to take part in the relief and rehabilitation activities in the affected areas.

He also directed the NDMA to join hands with the district and provincial administrations by taking every possible measure for speedy completion of the rescue and rehabilitation operations.

Later, the prime minister distributed aid and cheques among rain victims. He distributed Rs2 million cheque among heirs of each deceased and Rs500,000 among each injured of the recent torrential rains and floods in different districts of the province including merged tribal districts.