Army Ordered to Provide Unrestricted Flood Assistance on Field Marshal’s Instructions

ISLAMABAD (RNN TV) – Pakistan’s monsoon floods have killed at least 670 people and injured over 1,000 across the country, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

Relief and rescue operations are in full swing under the leadership of the Pakistan Army, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and federal agencies. So far, around 25,000 people have been shifted to safer areas.

Army at the forefront
Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that, on the directives of Field Marshal Asim Munir, army troops, rescue teams, and Army Aviation units are working round the clock in flood-affected districts.

According to the ISPR, 6,903 people have been rescued so far, while more than 6,000 patients have received treatment at army-run medical camps. Special teams from CMH hospitals and field battalions have been deployed to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Army helicopters are airlifting food supplies and medicines to cut-off regions, while engineering units are engaged in repairing damaged roads and bridges. “One day’s ration of the Pakistan Army has been allocated for the flood victims,” the DG ISPR added, noting that 90 roads in KP had been washed away but restoration work is underway.

Federal government response
Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that relief efforts have been intensified on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. So far, 1,200 tents and a special medical team from PIMS Hospital have been dispatched to flood-hit areas.

In addition, power supply in Swat, Shangla, and Bajaur — badly damaged by the floods — has been restored by 70 percent. Energy Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb is personally monitoring repair work. Several roads, including the Malakand route, Bisham Road, and the N-90 highway, have also been reopened.

“The Prime Minister has made it clear that in this challenging time, the entire nation must stand united,” Tarar stressed.

NDMA warns of fresh rains
NDMA Chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik said the floods were triggered by glacier melting and sudden cloudbursts in the northern areas. He warned of another heavy spell of monsoon rains beginning August 23 and urged all relevant departments to remain on high alert.

The NDMA has dispatched a third consignment of relief goods, including food and medicines, to five KP districts under the PM’s Ration Package. Malik said that 50 percent of highway restoration has already been completed, with a detailed survey underway to calculate the overall losses.

Impact so far

Deaths: 670
Injured: 1,000+
People rescued: 25,000
Medical assistance: 6,000+
Infrastructure: 90 roads destroyed in KP, multiple bridges damaged

With further rains expected, federal and provincial authorities, backed by the Army and NDMA, have pledged to continue joint efforts to save lives and accelerate rehabilitation in the flood-ravaged areas.

Source: Web Desk