Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has directed to provide financial assistance to families affected by the recent monsoon rains and floods across the country.

He was chairing a meeting in Lahore today regarding progress of relief and rehabilitation activities during recent monsoon rains.

The Prime Minister directed that financial assistance be provided to the families of all those who lost their lives in the floods, as well as to owners of houses damaged completely or partially by rains and floods. He further instructed to complete restoration of electricity transmission systems and roads in the affected areas at the earliest.

The Prime Minister directed the relevant federal ministers and secretaries to visit the affected areas personally and assess the damage and initiate restoration work.

Shehbaz Sharif further directed to accelerate activities and immediate provision of edibles and other relief items to affected areas, which are still inaccessible. He also directed the National Disaster Management Authority and provincial disaster management authorities to remain fully prepared for relief operations in view of the forecast of further rains and floods.

The meeting was briefed on the impact of this year's monsoon and the progress of relief operations. It was informed that six hundred fifteen tonnes of relief goods has so far been dispatched to monsoon-affected areas across the country, with further supplies being arranged.

The meeting was also informed that flood victims have already been shifted to safe locations in all affected areas, while NDMA and provincial disaster management teams are ready to assist people in case of further rains and flooding. It was further informed that restoration work is progressing rapidly in rain and flood-affected areas of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The meeting was informed that the early warning systems are operational in the Northern Areas, enabling the timely evacuation of many citizens to safer locations before flooding.