PM For Swift Relief, Recovery Measures In Flood-hit Areas Amid Anti-encroachment Drive Around Waterways

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed immediate and coordinated relief and recovery operations and long-term preventive strategies amid launch of national anti-encroachment drive around waterways

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Aug, 2025) Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed immediate and coordinated relief and recovery operations and long-term preventive strategies amid launch of national anti-encroachment drive around waterways.

The prime minister chaired a high-level review meeting today to assess the damage caused by recent monsoon rains and floods across Pakistan, a Prime Minister's Office news release said.

Calling the assistance to flood victims a “national duty,” the prime minister instructed the Ministry of Water Resources to fully support the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government in restoring water supply systems in affected areas.

“Relief and rescue come first but the process of rehabilitation must begin without delay,” the PM emphasized.

He announced the launch of a nationwide campaign to prevent construction along rivers, streams, and natural watercourses, highlighting the urgent need to protect these channels to avert future disasters.

PM Shehbaz Sharif also directed that federal ministers and secretaries be immediately deployed to flood-affected areas where relief efforts are underway, to ensure effective oversight and coordination.

Expressing concern over two upcoming expected weather spells, the Prime Minister ordered early warnings to be issued to at-risk populations and called for strict monitoring of all vulnerable zones.

Focusing on Gilgit-Baltistan, where a glacier outburst last night caused debris to form a lake, the Prime Minister directed the NDMA Chairman to monitor the lake closely and ensure pre-emptive evacuation of potentially affected communities.

He instructed the use of engineering resources from the Pakistan Army and FCNA to facilitate the safe drainage of the lake without causing damage.

The meeting was briefed on the river situation, glacial risks, and upcoming weather patterns in the northern and southern regions of the country.

The Federal Minister for Information also updated the forum on the establishment of a Central Coordination Committee to streamline ongoing rescue and relief operations.

The meeting was attended by federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Dr. Musadik Malik, Engineer Amir Muqam, Abdul Aleem Khan, Sardar Awais Leghari, Attaullah Tarar, Mian Moin Wattoo, Advisor Rana Sanaullah, SAPM Mubarak Zeb, and NDMA Chairman Lt. Gen. Inam Haider Malik, along with senior officials.