ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced climate and agricultural emergency across Pakistan amid widespread destruction caused by severe floods.
Addressing cabinet meeting, the premier said the floods have wreaked havoc in Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab, with water now entering the valleys of Sindh. “Thousands of acres of land in Punjab are submerged, and around a thousand Pakistanis have lost their lives,” he said, adding that thousands more have been injured.
Prime Minister Sharif stated that the full extent of agricultural losses, including damage to wheat and cotton crops, will be assessed and presented to the cabinet next week. He emphasized that immediate action is needed and announced the formation of a committee to begin work on relief and recovery.
“The challenges posed by climate change are immense, and Pakistan cannot address them alone. A comprehensive roadmap is necessary to tackle these issues effectively,” he said, assigning the Ministry of Climate Change to develop a program for coordinated action.
The Prime Minister warned that the threat is far from over, as floodwaters continue moving towards Sindh, posing further risks to crops, infrastructure, and communities.
With millions of acres of crops destroyed and widespread human and financial losses, the government’s emergency declaration aims to coordinate relief efforts and develop long-term strategies to mitigate the impact of climate-related disasters.
Severe monsoon floods affected millions and destroying homes and crops. In Pakistan’s Punjab province, over two million people have been displaced, with entire towns and thousands of farms submerged.
Massive farmland has been damaged, threatening rice production. Experts say climate change has intensified the monsoon rains, and the United Nations reports over 900 deaths in Pakistan since June. Relief operations are underway in Pujnjab, but the scale of the disaster is overwhelming.
