Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has mandated the establishment of a high-level federal emergency response committee in anticipation of abnormal monsoon rainfall and severe heatwaves across Pakistan. This decision follows a briefing by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), which highlighted that global climate anomalies are expected to trigger extreme heatwaves and unusual precipitation during July.
Addressing a high-level review meeting in Islamabad, the Prime Minister emphasized that Pakistan ranks among the countries most vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. He stressed the necessity of effective and comprehensive collaboration between federal and provincial governments to address these critical environmental challenges.
To facilitate swift coordination, Sharif directed the federal minister for climate change and the NDMA chairman to undertake emergency visits to all four provinces, as well as Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, to finalize preparations for the monsoon season.
The newly formed emergency response committee will operate under the supervision of the Minister for Planning and Development, Ahsan Iqbal. This body is tasked with holding weekly meetings and working closely with provincial disaster management units to ensure streamlined field operations.
In a significant development, the Prime Minister instructed Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb to secure emergency relief funds in advance to address any potential flood-related damages. Additionally, the federal government has allocated an extra Rs330 billion in the current fiscal budget to accelerate the completion of vital water and flood control infrastructure projects aimed at bolstering national water security.
Pakistan continues to recover from the devastating 2022 monsoon floods, which submerged one-third of the country, resulted in over 1,700 fatalities, and inflicted economic losses exceeding $30 billion. Drawing lessons from that disaster, Sharif urged provincial authorities to immediately initiate anti-encroachment operations to clear natural waterways, riverbeds, and flood-prone areas in high-risk districts.
He further highlighted the importance of channeling foreign-funded climate initiatives toward strengthening the technical and operational capacities of local institutions.
The meeting saw participation from senior civilian officials, including Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, chief secretaries of all provinces, and the head of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA).
