PM Orders Emergency Response Mechanism Ahead of Monsoon Season

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered federal and provincial authorities to bolster preparations for the impending monsoon season, stressing the critical need for a unified national emergency response mechanism. The directive comes as Pakistan faces increasing risks from climate change and potential flooding.

Presiding over a meeting on monsoon preparedness and climate resilience, Sharif approved the formation of an Emergency Response Committee, to be led by the planning and development minister. He highlighted Pakistan's extreme vulnerability to the adverse effects of climate change, underscoring that robust cooperation between the federal government and the provinces is essential for effectively addressing climate-related disasters.

The newly formed committee, which includes representatives from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and relevant federal ministries, will work closely with provincial authorities. Weekly meetings are planned throughout the monsoon season to monitor preparedness and response efforts, according to a statement from the PM Office Media Wing.

Additionally, Prime Minister Sharif directed the finance minister to finalize arrangements for an emergency fund to be mobilized in case of severe monsoon-related disasters. He also instructed the federal minister for climate change and the NDMA chairman to visit all provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan this week to finalize preparedness plans.

Reflecting the government's commitment to water security, Sharif noted the allocation of an additional Rs330 billion in the current fiscal year's budget for accelerating major water infrastructure projects. Recalling lessons from past flood emergencies, he urged all institutions to implement a comprehensive flood mitigation roadmap. Provincial governments were specifically instructed to remove illegal encroachments and other obstructions from river channels and flood pathways, particularly in high-risk districts. Federal and provincial institutions are to deploy their full resources to assist the public throughout the monsoon season.

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Pakistan was among the countries most vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change and stressed that effective cooperation between the federation and the provinces was critical to addressing climate-related disasters.