ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has announced that donate one month’s salary of the federal cabinet to help the people affected by the recent devastating rains and floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
This announcement was made during a high-level meeting held in Islamabad today, which was chaired by the Prime Minister himself. The meeting reviewed in detail the relief activities, damage assessments and rehabilitation measures in the affected areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir.
The meeting was briefed on the ongoing relief activities of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and federal ministers. It was informed that 456 relief camps have been established so far, while more than 400 rescue operations have been completed. Dozens of trucks loaded with relief items are still leaving for the affected areas.
The Prime Minister directed that immediate delivery of relief items should be ensured on a priority basis in the most affected areas. The meeting was informed that, as per the estimates so far, more than Rs 126 million has been lost to public and private properties.
The NDMA presented a report on the provision of rations, tents, medicines, medical teams and other basic items, on which the Prime Minister directed that the quantity of relief materials be further increased.
The meeting was informed that the monsoon season will continue till the second week of September, during which two more rains are expected. In the meeting, ministers and officials related to the affected areas, including Swat, Bajaur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit and Malakand, were briefed on the latest situation.
The Prime Minister clarified that “This is not a time for politics, but a time for service. In this hour of trouble, all government institutions will have to work together. We have to ensure that relief reaches every affected person and federal ministers continue to perform their duties until the infrastructure is fully restored.”
The Prime Minister directed that the Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan will supervise the relief operations. All federal ministers should personally visit the affected areas and supervise the relevant rehabilitation works.
The Ministry of Communications, NHA and FWO should immediately complete the rehabilitation work of highways and bridges. The electricity system should be restored on a priority basis. The Ministry of Health should immediately dispatch medicines and medical teams and set up medical camps.
The Benazir Income Support Program should be mobilised to provide financial assistance to the affected people. Furthermore, the NDMA was also directed to submit a final assessment of the losses and prepare a comprehensive action plan for the systematic distribution of relief items.
The meeting was attended by Federal Ministers Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Mosaddiq Malik, Ahad Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Sardar Owais Leghari, Engineer Amir Muqam, Sardar Muhammad Yousuf, Mian Moin Wattoo, Special Assistant Mubarak Zeb, Chairman NDMA Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik and other senior officials.
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