Islamabad/New York, September 27, 2025: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed federal and provincial authorities to urgently complete damage assessments in flood-hit areas to accelerate relief and rehabilitation efforts.
Chairing a review meeting via video link from New York, shortly after addressing the United Nations General Assembly, the prime minister stressed that estimates of damage to crops and infrastructure must be finalised “at the earliest” to enable effective planning.
“We will not rest until the people in flood-affected areas are fully rehabilitated,” Shehbaz said, instructing Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal to closely monitor operations and hold regular reviews.
The Prime Minister tasked the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) with providing full support to provinces and Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs). He also directed the National Highway Authority (NHA) to expedite restoration of the damaged section of the M-5 near the River Sutlej, particularly the Jalalpur Pirwala breach.
Shehbaz further instructed health authorities to take urgent steps against waterborne diseases and advised that suitable crops be cultivated in flood-hit areas to aid recovery.
The prime minister said he had raised the plight of climate-affected Pakistanis at the UNGA, reiterating that developing countries like Pakistan are disproportionately impacted by climate-induced disasters.
Officials briefed the meeting that around 350,000 people have returned home from relief camps, while floodwaters in Sindh are receding and remaining displaced families are expected to return soon. Food and aid distribution is continuing in affected regions.
The Punjab government was praised for what officials described as “exemplary measures” for rehabilitation. Provincial Information Minister Uzma Zahid Bukhari announced a relief package offering:
- Rs20,000 per acre for affected farmers
- Rs1 million for families whose homes were completely destroyed
- Rs500,000 for partial damage to houses
- Rs500,000 compensation for cattle losses
According to official figures, the floods have affected over 4.7 million people, including 2.6 million directly, and led to the loss of more than 2.1 million livestock. Around 27 districts and 4,794 villages along river belts have been impacted, with 2,213 rescue and relief teams currently deployed.
The prime minister directed that a comprehensive damage assessment report be prepared and submitted within a week.
