Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday announced the launch of a nationwide anti-encroachment campaign around rivers, streams and natural waterways, saying that the protection of water channels was critical to averting future flood disasters.
Chairing a high-level meeting to review the damage caused by the ongoing monsoon rains and floods, the prime minister directed immediate relief and recovery operations, alongside long-term preventive measures. Assistance to flood victims, he said, was a "national duty."
According to his office, the prime minister directed the Ministry of Water Resources to extend full support to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government in restoring water supply systems disrupted by flooding. "Relief and rescue come first, but rehabilitation must begin without delay," he added.
The prime minister further ordered federal ministers and secretaries to be deployed in flood-affected districts to oversee and coordinate relief efforts on the ground. He also expressed concern over fresh spells of heavy rain expected in the coming days, directing authorities to issue timely early warnings and ensure strict monitoring of vulnerable areas.
Focusing on Gilgit-Baltistan, where a glacier outburst in Ghizer had created an artificial lake, the premier tasked the NDMA chairman to monitor the situation closely and ensure pre-emptive evacuation of at-risk populations. He said that engineering resources of the Pakistan Army and FCNA should be mobilised to facilitate safe drainage of the lake without causing further damage.
The meeting was briefed on river flows, glacial threats and weather forecasts for the northern and southern parts of the country. The information minister also updated the meeting on the establishment of a central coordination committee to streamline rescue and relief operations nationwide.
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