Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to formulate a joint program with provincial counterparts to avert catastrophes similar to the recent Swat incident, where forty-nine lives were lost and numerous individuals were harmed nationwide. Addressing a ceremony at the NDMA”s National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) in Islamabad on Tuesday, he urged the compilation of a comprehensive report on such events.

The Prime Minister praised the advanced NEOC facility and pledged full support for its reinforcement and capacity enhancement. He revealed that Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Climate Change Minister Musadik Masood Malik have been assigned to secure grants and investments, not loans, via public-private partnerships to establish resilient infrastructure throughout the nation.

Concerning water security, given India”s contentious stance on the Indus Water Treaty, the Premier declared the administration”s resolve to build non-controversial water storage using Pakistan”s resources. He noted Pakistan”s vulnerability to cloudbursts despite its negligible contribution to greenhouse gases. The Premier emphasized that the widespread destruction caused by rapid glacial melt due to the extraordinary heatwave necessitates top-tier preparedness.