Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday announced that members of the federal cabinet will donate one month’s salary to support relief efforts in flood-affected areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).
The announcement came during a high-level meeting chaired by the prime minister in Islamabad to review ongoing relief operations in K-P, Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
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Sharif pledged full federal support, calling it a national responsibility to stand with those suffering. “Helping our distressed Pakistani brothers and sisters is our duty,” he said.
Under the prime minister’s directive:
- Financial assistance will be provided to families of the deceased and displaced.
- The Ministry of Kashmir and G-B Affairs, led by Engineer Amir Muqam, will oversee relief and rehabilitation.
- Federal ministers have been ordered to remain in affected areas until basic services are restored.
- The Ministry of Health will send medical teams and set up relief camps.
- The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) will be mobilised to assist flood-hit families.
The prime minister further instructed the National Highway Authority (NHA), the Ministry of Communications, and the Frontier Works Organization (FWO) to prioritise the repair of highways and bridges damaged by the floods.
According to officials, federal and provincial authorities, along with the Pakistan Army, have established 456 relief camps and carried out 400 rescue operations so far. Trucks carrying rations, tents, and medicines are being dispatched to the hardest-hit areas.
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Preliminary estimates suggest damages to public and private property exceed Rs126 million. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has been asked to increase the supply of relief goods.
Officials also warned that the monsoon season is expected to continue until late September, with two more heavy spells anticipated in flood-hit regions.
Ministers present at the briefing included Amir Muqam on Swat, Awais Leghari on K-P, and Mubarak Zeb on Bajaur, alongside officials from NHA and the Ministry of Communications on Malakand and G-B.
