ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Tuesday arrived in the country’s southern port city of Karachi hit by floods to take stock of the situation and called for “all-out efforts” to provide relief to its citizens, the military said.
Torrential rains in Pakistan— which began with the onset of the monsoon season in the South Asian country in mid-June— have claimed 160 lives and injured 169, according to official figures. Almost half of these deaths were recorded in the country’s south and southwest.
In Karachi, the capital of the southern Sindh province and Pakistan’s financial hub, a rain emergency was announced on Monday after large parts of the megapolis were left under water and without power. At least 11 deaths from rain-related accidents were reported during the day.
A statement from military media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Bajwa arrived directly from Saudi Arabia to Karachi to take stock of the flood situation. The army chief was flown over the city to see the overall impact of the urban flooding, the statement added.
“He directed Karachi Corps to ensure that all-out efforts and every single resource is utilized to bring comfort to the people,” the ISPR said.
Bajwa appreciated the timely response of the army’s formations in the aid of civil administration for rescue and relief efforts, the ISPR said.
As Karachi’s traders count their losses and local authorities continue to remove water across the city, the Pakistan Meteorological Department has warned more downpours are expected in Karachi from Thursday.