10 killed, infrastructure worth Rs20bn destroyed in GB floods: CM

GILGIT: Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan Haji Gulbar Khan Saturday said that floods triggered by intense monsoon rains have claimed 10 lives and injured four people across the region, while causing massive destruction to infrastructure worth over Rs20 billion.

Addressing a press conference in Gilgit, the chief minister said seven districts in the region have been severely affected by the floods, which have destroyed roads, water channels, homes and agricultural land. “Our limited resources are insufficient to recover from the scale of this disaster,” he said, urging the federal government to step in and assist.

CM Gulbar said the provincial government has formally requested Rs7 billion from the federal government for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the damaged infrastructure. He also appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to visit the flood-hit areas and witness the scale of the destruction firsthand.

“We have written letters to both the prime minister and the Chief of Army Staff, requesting their support at this critical time,” Gulbar Khan stated.

Earlier, the chief minister visited various flood-affected areas in Diamer district, including Thak, Niat, Kunar, and Thor, where he declared the worst-hit localities as calamity-stricken zones. He directed officials to provide immediate relief, including tents and other emergency supplies to the displaced families.

He assured victims that transparent damage assessments would be carried out and full compensation would be provided for losses to homes, agricultural land and essential infrastructure. Emergency restoration of electricity, drinking water, irrigation channels and roads has also been ordered.

The chief minister further directed authorities to remove all illegal encroachments along the water channels to prevent future disasters of similar magnitude.