Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday warned that Pakistan faces a recurring and escalating threat from devastating floods and urged unified action to expand water storage and build major reservoirs to blunt the impact of future deluges, after being briefed on widespread destruction across the country.
Chairing a briefing in Narowal, the prime minister was presented with detailed assessments of losses and damage caused by this year’s intense monsoon. Officials described the scale of the destruction as unprecedented, with unusually high water levels reported in the Chenab, Sutlej and Ravi rivers.
Sharif stressed the need to boost national capacity to store runoff and control flash floods, saying resources must be mobilized to finance large- and small-scale water projects. He highlighted the strategic importance of the Diamer Bhasha and Mohmand dams, and pointed to possible storage opportunities in Chiniot and of smaller reservoirs in the northern regions.
The premier said federal and provincial authorities have the capability to find solutions, and called for coordinated preparedness across agencies. He urged that, in addition to the National Disaster Management Authority and provincial disaster bodies, allied departments must demonstrate readiness to respond to future emergencies.
Expressing sorrow over lives lost and property destroyed, Sharif commended the armed forces for close coordination with civil administration in rescue and relief operations. He and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz conducted an aerial survey of the hardest-hit districts to review the response.
Maryam Nawaz said the provincial government would spare no effort to rehabilitate damaged infrastructure and compensate those who suffered losses. She noted timely evacuations of people and livestock and directed immediate drainage work where cultural and religious sites were inundated, specifically ordering water to be cleared from a flooded Gurdwara to assist the Sikh community.
The chief minister also reported activation of field hospitals to address the threat of waterborne illnesses and said about one thousand mobile clinics have been redirected to affected areas to provide emergency medical support.
Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal urged a systematic review to identify infrastructure gaps that widened the floods’ impact, calling for targeted measures to strengthen vulnerable systems.
The chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority told the meeting the monsoon this year has been longer and more intense than in previous years, producing unprecedented losses. He warned that high flows in major rivers remain a threat to downstream communities and agricultural land.
The prime minister reiterated the government’s focus on long-term mitigation through reservoir construction and improved water management, while directing short-term relief and rehabilitation efforts to proceed without delay.