Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged the people on Saturday to “stay alert” as the country tries to tackle the situation arising after the flash floods that have pummeled Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“We have to show alertness that this flood does not harm our agriculture,” he told reporters after reviewing the flood situation in Sajawal. “We need to be alert. Hopefully, together we can successfully come out of this challenge.”

Key developments so far

• PTI chief Imran Khan to hold telethon tomorrow
• KP CM to visit flood-affected areas in Swat, Lower Dir today
• Damage to optical fibre cables and power outages affecting internet services in several areas of KP, says PTA
• Over 400% of heavy rains and torrential floods in Balochistan
• More than 380% of rains intensity in Sindh
• Sindh areas were completely damaged
• Kalam, Bahrain, Madian, Khwazakhela, and Mingora have completely been affected
• Rs5b given to NDMA for relief
• SMS on 9999 to send your donation
• G-12164 PM’s account for relief fund
• COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa will visit flood-hit areas of Balochistan and Sindh today

He added that the federal government would also provide grants to other provinces as it provided to Sindh the other day. The PPP-ruled province would get Rs15 billion from the federal government.

Provinces and the federal government would sit together to decide what kind of cooperation they can do after the survey, he said adding that people should come forward and support the needy people.

“We should ask for forgiveness from God and ask for his blessings,” PM Shehbaz said.

He slammed the PTI in an apparent reference while speaking about KP Finance Minister Taimur Jhagra’s letter to the government.

Jhagra informed Federal Finance Minister Miftah Ismail on Friday that his KP administration might find it difficult to run a provincial surplus this year in view of flood-related damages.

“Still if we try to cause a blockage in the IMF programme we are about to have our agreement with the global lender. And a party tries to politicise it. I have never seen such a condition where you bring your personal interests to harm Pakistan interests,” he said and described such developments as a “conspiracy”.

PTI chief Imran Khan will hold telethon tomorrow

PTI chief Imran Khan would hold a telethon to raise funds for relief efforts tomorrow (Sunday), party leader Asad Umar announced in a tweet.

No government can tackle this situation on its own: Marriyum

Heavy rains and floods have pummeled Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, resulting in more than 1,000 deaths so far and affecting 30 million people. The government has urged the people to come forward and help the needy.

“Pakistan needs Pakistanis’ support in relief efforts,” Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb told reporters in Lahore. “Pakistan has not seen such flash floods and heavy rains in its history. Rains in Pakistan were 180% heavier than the average downpour in the country’s history.”

“No government can tackle this situation on its own,” she said, adding that Prime Minister Shehbaz has formed committees for relief programmes in different areas. “We need everyone’s support in this calamity. Send SMS while sitting at home to support the relief programme.”

Pakistan Army sets up relief helpline

Pakistan Army has set up the ‘Army Flood Relief helpline’, the armed forces media wing said in a statement. The help desks established across the country in various formations could be reached on Universal Access Number (UAN), the Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement.

Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa would visit flood-hit areas of Balochistan and Sindh today (Saturday). “The COAS will get the latest update on the ground and meet the troops busy in rescue and relief efforts.”

The ISPR said that it has no account for sending relief amounts, adding that accounts circulating pertaining to the army are fake.

“The relief amount for flood affected people can only be sent to the government account. Pakistan Army has no separate account for the relief,” it said.

As many as 50 army camps have been set up in flood-hit areas and all the officers of the Pakistan Army have donated their one-month salary for flood relief operations. Moreover, it has also donated its three-month ration.

Army called in

The federal government, in the exercise of powers conferred under Article 245 (functions of armed forces) of the Constitution, has authorised the deployment of army troops to assist provincial governments in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Balochistan for relief and rescue operations in the calamity hit areas.

The troops were being deployed pursuant to the requests made by all the provincial governments, said a notification issued by the interior ministry here on Friday.

“The exact number of army troops/assets, date and area of deployment would be worked out by the respective provincial governments/administrations in consultation with military operations Dte, GHQ,” it added.

Flood damages as reported by NDMA till August 26

• 982 killed, including 316 children, 198 female and 400 male
• 1,456 injured
• 3,161.5kms
• 149 bridges
• 122 shops
• 682,139 houses damaged, including 226,719 fully and 455,420 partially
• 802,583 livestock
• 110 districts affected
• 5,768,063 affected population

Nowshera

Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

PM Shehbaz participates in relief efforts

Rains cause ‘heaviest floods in Pakistan’s history’

The “abnormal” monsoon torrential rains caused the heaviest floods in the country’s history that submerged many parts of the southern region, Federal Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman on Friday said.

She was addressing the meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Climate Change held under the chair of MNA Nuzhat Pathan.

Sherry said the situation was “bad” as rains has not been taking any breaks with up to 1,100 millimetres rains in many flood-hit areas, adding: “30 districts of Sindh have been submerged and this committee should take notice of that.”

It was a natural disaster but mother nature was brought to this level after “unbridled anthropogenic [a term related to environmental pollution originating from human activities] activities”, she added.

The communication link with Balochistan had also ended, she said, adding: “our helicopters are reaching the affected areas but they are coming back due to unfavourable weather conditions.”

The minister said that there were many people still trapped in the affected areas and the government “had no idea” about where to draw the accumulated water.

Asif Haider Shah, the climate change ministry secretary, briefed the committee on the mandate of the ministry in the prevailing scenario and presented his suggestions to the forum.

More to follow