FM Bilawal briefs Saudi counterpart on flood situation over phone

Islamabad: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Friday a telephone call with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and briefed him on the magnitude of devastation caused by floods and torrential monsoon rains in Pakistan.

He also thanked Saudi Arabia for its strong expression of solidarity and continued assistance for flood-affected people.

Meanwhile, a high-level Turkish delegation, sent by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, reached Pakistan to express solidarity and extend support after the devastating floods in the country.

The delegation will also undertake an aerial visit of the flood-affected areas of the country.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received Turkish Minister for Interior Suleyman Soylu, Turkish Minister for Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change Murat Kurum, chairman of Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management (AFAD), director general for Turkish Low-Cost Housing Agency (TOKI) and the accompanying delegation in Islamabad.

A surge of water flowed down the Indus river on Thursday, threatening further devastation in a country already a third inundated, in a growing disaster blamed on climate change.

The Pakistan Army’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement that 200 helicopters sorties have been flying in various areas of the country to evacuate stranded people and also transport rations and medicines.

“1,991 stranded individuals have been evacuated and 162.6 tonnes of relief items have been delivered to flood-affected people during the last 24 hours,” it added.

Earlier, PM Shehbaz had discussed with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lt Gen Akhtar Nawaz rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations in the flood-affected areas.