Pakistani PM Sharif calls recent destructive rains "doomsday" Which claimed hundreds of lives

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has described recent floods, triggered by heavy rains and mountain torrents carrying rocks and debris, as “a doomsday of sorts” for the affected communities.

“More than 350 of our brothers and sisters have lost their lives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone, while nationwide, over 700 lives have been claimed by this tragedy,” he said, adding that hundreds remained injured or missing, Caliber.Az reports, citing Pakistani media.

Sharif condemned the construction of houses on river banks and floodplains, calling it human mistake that had worsened the disaster.

“There is no law anywhere in the world that allows construction in such dangerous places,” he said, warning that further spells of heavy rains were expected before September 10.

The premier directed federal and provincial authorities to immediately formulate policies to ban construction in flood-prone zones.

He said he would convene a meeting of all chief ministers and their chief secretaries to make joint decisions on disaster preparedness, reforestation, and regulation of construction.

By Khagan Isayev