PM Shehbaz asks finance ministry to seek IMF relief on electricity bills for flood affectees

• Govt seeks one-month power bill exemption for flood-hit areas.
• PM Shehbaz stresses urgency of IMF talks on electricity bills.
• Sources say directive aims to ease burden on affected people.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has instructed the Ministry of Finance to seek relief from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in electricity bills for flood-affected communities across the country, The News reported.

According to official sources, the prime minister directed the ministry to open talks with the IMF on granting a one-month exemption from electricity bills for residents of flood-hit areas.

He emphasised the urgency of the matter, urging the finance ministry to engage with the IMF at the earliest to secure the relief, which is intended to provide immediate assistance to those affected by the recent floods.

Officials said the proposed relief would cover all flood-hit regions, whether urban or rural, ensuring broad-based assistance to households suffering from the disaster.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government requested the federal government to deploy Pakistan Army personnel for conducting post-flood damage surveys across the province.

In a letter to the Ministry of Interior, the Punjab Home Department said that floods had caused widespread loss of lives, property, crops, livestock, and infrastructure, making a comprehensive survey essential for transparent assessment and fair compensation.

To ensure public cooperation, security, and credibility of the process, the provincial government has asked for 1,710 army personnel to be deployed in 25 flood-affected districts, similar to arrangements made during the 2022 floods.

According to the request, 1,710 survey teams have been formed, each including an army representative along with civil officials. The Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) will bear expenses related to the army’s deployment and logistics.

The districts where personnel are being sought include Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Chiniot, Faisalabad, Gujarat, Hafizabad, Jhang, Kasur, Khanewal, Lahore, Lodhran, Mandi Bahauddin, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Nankana Sahib, Narowal, Okara, Pakpattan, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Toba Tek Singh, Vehari, and Wazirabad.

Also, the PDMA Punjab released its damage assessment report, revealing the scale of destruction caused by recent floods across the province.

According to Relief Commissioner Nabeel Javed, 97 people lost their lives in various flood-related incidents, while more than 4,500 villages were inundated along the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers.

The report detailed that 2,334 villages were affected by the Chenab River floods, 1,482 by the Ravi, and 672 by the Sutlej. In total, 4.498 million people were impacted, of whom 2.451 million were safely evacuated.

Authorities also established 396 relief camps in the worst-hit districts, while nearly 1.91 million livestock were relocated to safer areas.