Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that the federal government would provide Rs70 billion for flood victims.

He made the decision while chairing a meeting of the federal cabinet in Islamabad, in which the flood situation was reviewed.

Speaking in the meeting, the premier said that the communication system in Balochistad had been destroyed and efforts were afoot to restore it.

He said said that the Rs70 billion that the federal govt would provide would be distributed to the following provincial governments and departments, who will then distribute it under the Benazir Income Support Programme.

Sindh: Rs26 billion Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Rs10 Balochistan: Rs10 billion Gilgit-Baltistan: Rs3 billion NDMA: Rs8 billion

During the meeting, he observed that restaurants and hotels were constructed along the river in Swat, including on the river bed. “We have suffered due to our own mistakes. We must learn from them.”

The premier also spoke at an event to celebrate the country’s 58th Defence Day, which he said the people would celebrate in solidarity with the flood victims of the country.

“Floods have caused massive destruction in the country,” he said while describing the scale of devastation. The disaster has affected more than 33 million of the population.

The premier also recalled the history of the 1965 war and called for united efforts to tackle the crisis.

“The Defence Day is celebrated every year on September 6th to revitalise the national spirit, remember and eulogise the sacrifices of the martyrs, who spilled their blood for the security of the sacred motherland and marked an exemplary history of patriotism,” Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

The day began with the 31-gun salute in the federal capital and 21-gun salute in provincial capitals whereas a change of guard ceremony was held at the Mazar-e-Quaid and a change of guards’ ceremony was held by the smartly turned out contingent of the Pakistan Air Force.

‘Anyone intending to hurt bond between armed forces, people is not friend of Pakistan’

PM Shehbaz stressed the need for summoning the spirit of 1965 to fight “historic floods and other challenges”.

“Anyone intending to hurt the bond between our armed forces & people is not a friend of Pakistan. Let us fortify this bond of one nation,” he said in a series of tweets.

Helping flood victims

“Our whole nation salutes all the martyrs and soldiers, who fought and saved Pakistan from the enemy’s attack 57 years ago, where they competed against the attackers and protected the country’s borders,” he said after laying a floral wreath at the Pakistan Monument in Shakarparian, Islamabad.

“They saved every inch of our motherland at the cost of their lives,” he said and praised the armed forces for the valiant attempts to thwart the nefarious designs of the enemy.

“Today, once again the whole nation has come together as one to help one another in flood crisis regardless of any caste or discrimination. There is no Sindhi, Punjabi, Pathan or Kashmiri all have come as one, as a Muslim and Pakistani.”

He paid tributes to Major Rafique Aziz Bhatti, Major Shafique Shareeq and Squadron Leader Sarfaraz Rafiqui, Major Muhammad Ziauddin Upal and to every martyr and soldier who fought for the country. “We will remember their efforts and they will always be remembered and valued forever. Inshallah, Pakistan will prosper as a nation,” the PM said.

“Today, we are facing the worst natural crisis which no one has ever seen. The entire nation, federal, provincial governments and forces are helping [flood] victims and serving humanity.

Our armed forces and officers are once again serving the people as they did in 1965. They are risking their lives whether it’s Lasbela, Sindh or at any flood-hit area and trying their best to provide safe places to victims.“