Defense Minister Urges Unified National Response to Flood Crisis

Islamabad: Minister for Defense Khawaja Muhammad Asif has called for a unified national response to mitigate human suffering and property damage caused by devastating floods. Participating in a discussion in the National Assembly today on the recent floods across the country, he emphasized the need to build national consensus for the construction of both small and large water reservoirs. He asserted that national issues should not be politicized.

According to Radio Pakistan, the Minister also underscored the importance of strengthening local government institutions to ensure the devolution of power to the grassroots level. Ali Muhammad Khan proposed the formulation of a comprehensive policy for dam construction to enhance water storage capacity. Syed Naveed Qamar urged action against illegal deforestation and the encroachment of riverbeds and water channels. Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hassan highlighted the need for implementing an effective rehabilitation and rescue strategy to respond to natural disasters.

Earlier, the National Assembly suspended the scheduled business of the House to discuss the catastrophic situation caused by recent rains and floods in different parts of the country. The House offered fateha for the departed souls of hundreds of individuals who lost their lives in the recent rains and devastating floods across Pakistan, as well as for the security personnel who embraced martyrdom in defense of the motherland, and other deceased citizens. Ali Muhammad Khan led the fateha. The House will now meet tomorrow at eleven in the morning.