PM looks to China for advanced disaster management technology

Additional aid convoys dispatched to Narowal, Sialkot, Wazirabad, Hafizabad, Chiniot and Jhang, says Shehbaz

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan was keen to benefit from Chinese expertise to adopt "effective preventive measures and strategies" to better cope with natural calamities during a visit to the National Earthquake Simulation Center at Tianjin University on Sunday.

The prime minister lauded China’s use of advanced technologies in disaster management, saying such methods "will prove extremely beneficial for Pakistan in dealing with natural disasters".

Existing initiatives in Pakistan, including the International Medical Center and the China-Pakistan Joint Lab, should be made more effective, he stressed as he called for expanding bilateral cooperation in disaster preparedness.

Shehbaz addressed the ongoing flood situation in Pakistan, noting that nationwide relief operations were underway to support affected families.

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Additional convoys carrying aid had been dispatched to Narowal, Sialkot, Wazirabad, Hafizabad, Chiniot and Jhang, which would be handed over to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) for distribution, he stated.

Directing the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to remain in close coordination with the Punjab government, the prime minister assured that "relief operations for flood-affected families will continue."

During the visit, he was briefed on disaster management technologies, including newly developed medical rescue vehicles, as he was informed that several joint projects are operational under the Belt and Road Initiative, such as the China-Pakistan Joint Lab for Disaster and Emergency Medicine, the International Medical Cooperation Center, and the China-Pakistan Friendship Hospital.

This is the first visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz to China since the Pakistan-India war in May, following the Pahalgam attack.

Pakistan emerged victorious when it shot down at least 6 Indian fighter jets, including the highly advanced French-made Rafale.

It was the first time Chinese military hardware was tested on a real battlefield against Western technology.

China's profile in terms of military technology has gone up by some notches as Western commentators admitted that Beijing is not on par with other Western countries in terms of defence equipment.