Shehbaz, Maryam Survey Damage in Flood-Hit Punjab

Punjab-(Special Correspondent/Web desk)Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif visited Punjab’s flood-affected areas on Thursday to assess the situation on ground. Officials briefed them on the destruction caused by the overflowing Ravi, Chenab, and Sutlej rivers. Earlier, NDMA Chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider gave the Prime Minister an overview of the countrywide flood crisis. During an aerial survey, PM Shehbaz was also updated on rescue and relief operations under way in the hardest-hit districts, including Narowal and Gujranwala division.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed authorities on Thursday to take “all necessary steps” to prevent further damage and speed up relief operations in flood-hit Punjab. Both the Prime Minister and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif are expected to receive a detailed briefing during their visit to Narowal.Gold Rates Today in Pakistan – 22, 24 Karat Gold Price – 28 August 2025

According to officials, at least 15 people have lost their lives in Gujranwala division alone — including five in Sialkot, four in Gujrat, three in Narowal, two in Hafizabad, and one in Gujranwala. Three others remain missing. Authorities added that more than 150,000 people and 35,000 livestock have been evacuated, while over 600,000 people across Punjab are affected. In total, 769 villages have been submerged and millions of acres of farmland destroyed. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) noted that monsoon-related deaths in Pakistan this year are nearly three times higher than last year.

In Narowal, floodwaters entered the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, submerging its grounds. Emergency teams, supervised by Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal and provincial minister Ramesh Singh Arora, rescued more than 150 Sikh pilgrims and staff trapped inside. The Narowal–Shakargarh road has also been cut off over several kilometers, isolating nearby villages.