QUETTA: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Monday directed authorities to provide relief amounts to flood and rain affectees after heavy downpours wreaked havoc and hampered relief efforts in Balochistan.
In the latest statistics, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Balochistan, said that among the 136 deceased, 56 were men, 47 children, and 33 women, while 70 people have been injured.
The PDMA’s report showed that the rains damaged 13,535 houses and completely destroyed 3,406 homes, and the heavy downpour also inflicted damage to 16 bridges and 640 kilometres of roads.
Over 20,000 cattle have been killed in the flash floods, eight dam embankments have been damaged, and crops on 198,000-acre land have been destroyed.
PM Shehbaz, while speaking to journalists during his visit to a tent village in the Khusnoob area of Qilla Saifullah, said the federal and provincial governments would undertake joint efforts for the relief and rehabilitation of flood-affected people.
The prime minister — who visited Balochistan for the second time in three days — said that he has directed the authorities to ensure that the relief amount — Rs1 million — is provided to the heirs of those who lost their loved ones in the calamity within the next 24 hours.
Apart from the federal government’s one million rupees, the Balochistan government will also extend the same compensation to the bereaved families, he said.
PM Shehbaz noted that financial assistance will also be provided to the injured. He said Rs500,000 would be provided to those whose houses were completely destroyed, while the assistance of Rs200,000 would be given for the partially damaged houses.
PM Shehbaz said a joint survey would also be conducted to assess the damages caused by the floods to crops, livestock, and infrastructure. He assured that compensation would also be given to the people who lost their crops and livestock whilst infrastructure damaged by the floods would also be repaired.
The prime minister also took serious notice of the non-provision of rations in the tent village. He directed the authorities concerned to ensure the provision of rations and water to the flood-affected people.
‘Rescue takes time’
In conversation with Geo News, Balochistan Government Spokesperson Farah Azeem Shah said that storms also hit the United States, and the province is no exception, adding that “rescue operations take time”.
The spokesperson said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has visited Balochistan and the provincial government is in contact with the Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa as the authorities seek to provide relief to the people.
In the coming months, Shah said the government will devise a long-term plan for dealing with rains. “We are rallying the non-government organisations (NGOs) and will not abandon the people.”
She added that the rescue operations have been completed to a large extent, while relief operations are underway. The spokesperson claimed that till the rescue and relief operations are underway, government officials’ salaries will be deposited to the relief fund.
Shah also said that the Karachi-Quetta road — which was heavily damaged due to the heavy rains — has finally been restored for traffic.
The situation of roads
On the other hand, Levies Force, in a statement, said that in the upper areas of Toba Achakzai and Toba Kakari, links roads were damaged and commuters are facing trouble.
The link roads of Kan Mehtarzai, Muslim Bagh, and Loi Band have not been restored, while internet, telephone, and electricity have still not been restored in several upper areas, the force said.
The statement said that the Quetta-Harnai Highway remains closed for the third day for all kinds of traffic at Chapper Rift in Ziarat’s limits after landsliding, while the restoration works have not been started there as of yet.
The provincial government, district administration, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Pakistan Army, Pakistan Navy, and Frontier Corps are engaged in rescue and relief operations.
Approximately 450 Pakistanis, including 250 Zaireen, have successfully crossed into Lebanon from Syria, according to the spokesperson for the Foreign Office, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch.
During her weekly briefing at the foreign office in Islamabad, she stated that Pakistan is pleased with the resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly on the Gaza Strip, which calls for an immediate ceasefire.
In addition, she expressed her satisfaction with the elimination of limits placed on UNRWA’s ability to carry out relief activities in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
It was stated by her that Pakistan is demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities in Palestine, an end to the genocide that is taking place in Gaza, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, unrestricted access to humanitarian aid for those who are in urgent need, full support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and its mandated humanitarian activities, and medical assistance for those who are in urgent need.
Moreover, she stated that Pakistan emphasises the need for the international community to hold Israel accountable for the war crimes and crimes against humanity that it has committed in occupied lands.
The Israeli aggression against Syria, the illegitimate acquisition of Syrian territory, and the massive devastation of Syrian infrastructure as well as civilian and military sites are all topics that Pakistan is extremely worried about, according to the spokesperson for Pakistan.
According to her, this attack on Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is a serious violation of international law to the highest degree. By expressing our support for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, we are also expressing our opposition to the Israeli government’s attempt to acquire territory through coercion.
The resolution 497 of the United Nations Security Council, which declares the annexation of the Golan Heights by Israel to be null and illegal and to have no international legal impact, was reaffirmed by her organisation.
A notification restoring the FIA Cyber Wing’s authority was released by the Information Technology (IT) Ministry.
The National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency’s authority has been transferred to the FIA Cyber Crime Wing, and the laws governing it have been revoked, according to the notification received.
The statutes of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency were suspended because of an unfinished construction, but they will be reinstated after the structure is finished.
The FIA Cyber Crime Wing has now been given the power to combat crimes on social media, according to sources.
To combat crimes involving social media, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency was founded in 2023.