Govt stands behind Chitral flood victims: Nawaz

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: Expressing profound grief over the loss of life and property in the Chitral floods, Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday said the government will not leave the affected people in the lurch and provid1e necessary funding for their rehabilitation.
He was to visit the flood-affected areas on Tuesday but was stuck in Lahore due to bad weather. Sources told The News that the prime minister had made preparations on Tuesday afternoon for leaving for Chitral but was informed at the eleventh hour about the worsening weather.
According to the PM House, the prime minister had instructed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), which has already started work in the area, to reinforce relief and rescue efforts in coordination with the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and other departments concerned.
He also directed the National Highway Authority (NHA) to keep the N-45 open so that Chitral remains linked to the national road network.The prime minister will visit Chitral as soon the weather becomes clear. He has been monitoring the flood situation since his return from Saudi Arabia on Monday, the sources said.
Meanwhile, the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), General Raheel Sharif, on Tuesday directed all concerned in the army to make all-out efforts to help and extend all possible assistance to the people affected in the flood-hit areas in Chitral and elsewhere in the country.
All corps headquarters in their respective areas of responsibility are monitoring the flood situation and preparations have been made to meet any eventuality arising due to expected floods.According to the ISPR here, the field commanders have been instructed to carry out reconnaissance of areas that could possibly be affected due to floods.
Meanwhile, the army continued rescue operations on the sixth consecutive day in the worst flood-hit areas of Chitral where the army and Frontier Corps, with the help of civil administration, distributed 16 tons of ration.The army troops evacuated more than 73 stranded individuals from Garm Chashma, Koragh and Bomboreet to safer places.