PM Shehbaz forms high-level committee to deal with monsoon emergencies

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed a high-level committee to address potential emergency situations during the upcoming monsoon season. In a meeting in Islamabad focused on national preparedness, the prime minister emphasized that all relevant institutions must remain on high alert. He directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to collaborate with provincial governments and other institutions to manage the monsoon effectively, as reported by Radio Pakistan.

Key points from the meeting include:

- Advisory measures for residents in potentially affected areas must be ensured.
- Advance information should be disseminated daily to farmers and those living near rivers and canals through the media.
- Heavy monsoon rains are expected across all provinces in the first and second weeks of July.
- The monsoon rains will progress from southeast to north across the country.
- Specific regional forecasts include:
  - Potohar region and eastern Punjab: rains in the first week of July.
  - Karachi, Mirpur Khas, Nawabshah, Sukkur, and Hyderabad: heavy rains in the second and fourth weeks of July.
  - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP): active rains until the third week of August.
  - Coastal and border areas of Sindh and Balochistan: heavy rains in the second, fourth, and first two weeks of July.
  - Gilgit-Baltistan: partial rains in July and heavy rains in the first three weeks of August.
  - Azad Jammu and Kashmir: heavy rains and potential landslides in the first three weeks of July.
  
Rescue agencies, including the NDMA, PDMA, and Pakistan Army troops, are on high alert in the affected areas. The NDMA has launched a mobile app providing monsoon alerts and weather conditions, which is being utilized by the public. A National Monsoon Contingency Plan has been prepared and shared with relevant institutions and provincial governments to handle any emergency situations arising from the monsoon rains.