Flood-ravaged Pakistan to deploy Army to assist in rescue and relief work

So far 982 people have been killed due to floods across Pakistan. As many as 45 persons died in the last 24 hours, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.

The Pakistan government has decided to call in the Army to help in the rescue and relief operations after many parts of the country were ravaged by the worst floods in more than a decade that has affected more than 33 million people, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said on August 27.

So far 982 people have been killed due to floods across Pakistan. As many as 45 persons died in the last 24 hours, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). “Another 1,456 persons were hurt, with 113 injuries reported in the last 24 hours,” it said.

Interior Minister Sanaullah said the armed forces were being deployed in the wake of the biggest floods in more than a decade.

He said the troops have been called in under Article 245 of the Constitution which empowers the government to summon the Army in aid of the civilian administration to deal with an emergency.

A formal notification issued on August 26 read that the exact number of troops and area of deployment would be worked out by respective provincial governments in consultation with the military operations directorate and General Headquarters.

“The date of de-requisitioning of said deployment will be decided subsequently after mutual consultation among all stakeholders,” according to the notification.

The calamity has badly hit the infrastructure of the country with the NDMA reporting that more than 3,161KM of road were damaged and 149 bridges swept away, while 6,82,139 houses were totally or partially damaged in the floods.