Saturday, 6 September, 2025 | 12 Rabiul Awal, 1447
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Rs 20.00 | Vol XVI No 60 | 12 Pages | Lahore Edition
PM SEEKS CLIMATE RESILIENCE PLAN TO COUNTER 2026 MONSOON
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PM SHEHBAZ DECLARES FLOOD REHABILITATION AS TOP NATIONAL PRIORITY, PLEDGING FULL SUPPORT TO PROVINCES
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ISLAMABAD
staff report
RIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination to begin immediate preparations for the 2026 monsoon season and submit a comprehensive climate resilience action plan within two weeks to address Pakistan’s growing vulnerability to climate change, including increasingly intense rainfall and flooding. Chairing a high-level review
meeting here, the prime minister assessed the damage caused by recent heavy rains and flooding, along with the ongoing rescue, relief, and rehabilitation efforts, according to a news release from the PM’s Office. Declaring the rehabilitation of flood-affected citizens a top national priority, PM Shehbaz ordered authorities to ensure full preparedness in river-adjacent areas of southern Pakistan, which remain highly vulnerable to floods. He stressed that the federal government stands fully ready to support provincial administrations in all aspects of relief and
rehabilitation, while emphasizing the need for real-time monitoring of evacuation and relief operations to guarantee timely assistance. The Prime Minister also instructed the formation of a special committee to facilitate financial assistance for flood victims not currently registered with NADRA. He reiterated his call to the Climate Change Ministry for a climate resilience action plan within two weeks, highlighting that it must effectively address Pakistan’s exposure to climate-related disasters. During the briefing, PM Shehbaz praised the coordinated rescue and relief efforts of the NDMA, PDMAs, Pakistan Army, and federal and provincial agencies. Officials reported that floodwaters from the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers have reached central and southern Punjab and are expected to pass through Panjnad. Preparations have been made to handle a water flow of 1 to 1.2 million cusecs; however, the actual flow is projected at around 600,000 cusecs—significantly below earlier estimates.
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govt, pti clash in national assembly over federal flood relief in Kp ISLAMABAD
staff report
The National Assembly on Friday witnessed heated exchanges between the government and the PTI after the opposition accused federal authorities of failing to adequately support flood victims in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The PTI also staged a walkout from the session, protesting the disqualification of its lawmakers. Chairman PTI Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had not provided sufficient help to the worst-hit areas, particularly Buner, where 236 people have died, 120 others were injured, and 1,470 shops and 875 homes destroyed since torrential
rains began on August 15. “I say at this forum that we will continue to be at odds with the NDMA,” he remarked on the floor, adding that the authority had provided only a limited amount of supplies in Buner. Law and Human Rights Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar interrupted, calling Gohar’s complaint “politics for the sake of politics.” He explained that disaster response functions on three tiers: district disaster management authorities run by deputy commissioners, provincial authorities overseen by the provinces, and the NDMA, which primarily coordinates and shares information.
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