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Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Vice President and Senator Sherry Rehman has criticised the government's response to flooding in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, saying torrential rains have once again exposed serious shortcomings in the country's disaster preparedness and urban flood management systems, as reported by Dawn.
According to Dawn, Rehman questioned whether Pakistan was adequately prepared to deal with increasingly intense rainfall and flooding, arguing that the crisis in the twin cities reflected longstanding weaknesses in disaster management. She pointed to persistent urban planning problems, including construction on natural drainage routes, inadequate municipal planning and insufficient investment in climate-resilient infrastructure. She stated that these recurring issues were among the main factors behind repeated flooding in urban areas. Rehman argued that Pakistan's approach to climate-related emergencies remained largely reactive. Public debate, she said, generally begins only after lives have been lost, houses damaged, livestock swept away and communities severely affected. She stated that climate preparedness should become a permanent part of governance rather than an issue discussed only after disasters occur. The senator urged the government to immediately intensify rescue and relief operations in flood-hit areas and ensure that affected residents receive assistance without delay. She also called for vulnerable people to be evacuated safely and for authorities to provide food, clean drinking water and emergency medical support to the victims. Rehman said temporary emergency measures following every episode of heavy rain were no longer adequate. She called for federal and provincial authorities to abandon blame-shifting and establish a coordinated strategy for dealing with urban flooding, as highlighted by Dawn. She recommended upgrading drainage infrastructure, regularly clearing stormwater channels, strengthening flood-management institutions and developing reliable early-warning systems. She also emphasised that climate change was increasing both the frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall, creating greater risks for Pakistan's rapidly expanding cities, as reported by Dawn. (ANI)
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