ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed the formation of a high-level federal emergency response committee as Pakistan prepared for above-normal monsoon rainfall and severe heatwaves.
The directive came during a high-level review meeting after the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) briefed the prime minister on the country’s weather outlook, warning that global climate anomalies could trigger intense heatwaves and unusually heavy rainfall across Pakistan in July.
“Pakistan is among the countries most affected by the adverse impacts of climate change,” Sharif said.
“Effective and comprehensive cooperation at the federal and provincial levels is indispensable to tackle these national-level environmental risks.”
The prime minister instructed the federal minister for climate change and the NDMA chairman to visit all four provinces, as well as Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, to review and finalise monsoon preparedness arrangements.
The newly established emergency response committee will be headed by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and will hold weekly meetings to coordinate with provincial disaster management authorities and ensure an effective emergency response.
As part of the contingency plan, Sharif directed Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb to ensure the availability of emergency relief funds to deal with any flood-related damage.
The prime minister also said the federal government had allocated an additional Rs330 billion in the current budget to accelerate the completion of key water management and flood protection projects aimed at strengthening the country’s water security.
Recalling the devastating 2022 floods, which killed more than 1,700 people, displaced millions and caused economic losses exceeding $30 billion, Sharif directed provincial governments to immediately launch anti-encroachment operations to clear natural waterways, riverbeds and flood channels in vulnerable areas.
He further instructed that foreign-funded climate initiatives should be utilised to enhance the technical and operational capacity of local institutions responsible for disaster management.
The meeting was attended by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, the chief secretaries of all provinces, the chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority and the chairman of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), along with other senior officials.