According to the Inter-Services Public Relations, Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has directed the Pakistan Army to “take all measures” to assist the provincial government of Balochistan as the province reels from the devastation caused by record floods (ISPR).
The army chief directed Corps Commander Quetta Lieutenant General Asif Ghafoor to assist in “rescue, relief, and rehabilitation efforts on an emergency basis in coordination with civil administration” in a phone call.
“Unprecedented rains have wreaked havoc on human life and communication infrastructure, particularly in Balochistan.” “Army resources will be used to assist affected populations and restore critical communication infrastructure as an immediate temporary measure,” the army chief was quoted as saying by the military’s media wing.
General Bajwa went on to say that the Army is standing by the affected people during this difficult time and that it “shall undertake this assistance effort as a national obligation.”
On Friday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a Rs37.2 billion Flood Relief Cash Programme to provide Rs25,000 cash assistance to each of the country’s 1.5 million flood-affected families.
The Pakistan Army said on Thursday that rescue and relief efforts were underway in various flood-affected areas of Balochistan and Punjab, following heavy rains in both provinces. The army troops were busy with relief efforts in Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Naseerabad, and Lasbela, according to the ISPR.
The army aided in the transportation of victims and their belongings to safer locations. “Army medical teams are providing medical care to those who have been affected,” the military’s media wing added.
The Frontier Corps (FC) in Balochistan deployed boats in flood-affected areas of the region to rescue people who had become trapped by heavy rain.
The COAS reassured flood victims that the Pakistan Army will assist them “in this difficult testing time and shall undertake this assistance effort as a national obligation.”
