Lahore: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has mandated the provision of financial assistance to families impacted by the recent monsoon rains and floods throughout the nation. He issued these directives while leading a meeting in Lahore concerning the ongoing relief and rehabilitation efforts following the severe weather events.

According to Radio Pakistan, the Prime Minister instructed that financial aid be extended to the families of those who lost their lives in the floods, as well as to the owners of houses that were either completely or partially destroyed. Additionally, he emphasized the urgent restoration of electricity transmission systems and roads in the afflicted regions. The federal ministers and secretaries have been tasked with personally visiting the affected areas to assess the damage and spearhead the recovery initiatives.

Sharif further called for the acceleration of relief activities and the immediate dispatch of food and other necessary items to regions that remain unreachable. He directed the National Disaster Management Authority and provincial disaster management authorities to maintain readiness for relief operations in light of forecasts predicting further rains and flooding.

During the meeting, officials provided an update on the impact of this year’s monsoon and the status of relief operations. It was reported that 615 tonnes of relief supplies have been sent to the affected areas nationwide, with additional provisions being prepared. Flood victims have been relocated to safer locations, and the NDMA, along with provincial teams, stand prepared to assist should further adverse weather occur. Restoration efforts are said to be advancing quickly across the affected provinces and territories, including Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The meeting also highlighted that early warning systems are active in the Northern Areas, which has facilitated the timely evacuation of residents to safer regions ahead of potential flooding.