ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed authorities to carry out immediate assessments of the loss of life and property caused by recent monsoon rains in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) regions that have been hit hard by flash floods and landslides.
Sharif issued the instructions while chairing a meeting amid rising concerns over the severity of the monsoon season that started in the country on June 26.
While casualties in GB and AJK have so far been reported to be comparatively lower than in Punjab or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, torrential downpours triggered devastating landslides and stranded hundreds of tourists.
Authorities also issued glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) warnings as water levels rose rapidly in glacier-fed catchments.
“The federal government stands shoulder to shoulder with the people, administration and governments of AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan,” the prime minister was quoted as saying by his office said in a statement.
