- Web Desk
- 6 Hours ago
Govt approves electricity bill relief for flood victims
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- Web Desk
- 7 Hours ago
ISLAMABAD: The federal government has waived electricity bills for flood-affected areas and announced refunds for those who have already paid.
Federal Minister for Power Sardar Awais Leghari thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for the “timely and people-friendly” decision, saying the waived bills and refunds would be implemented immediately.
Earlier, the prime minister ordered power distribution companies to stop collecting August 2025 bills from consumers in flood-hit regions.
A statement from the PM’s Office said that after finalising matters with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a detailed relief package would be announced.
PM Sharif said that those who had already paid their August bills would see the amounts adjusted in the coming month.
PM vows to rebuild flood-affected areas
He said floods had affected millions across the country and the government would “continue all-out rescue and rehabilitation efforts until every displaced person returns home.”
PPP slams govt for delay in seeking global flood aid
Meanwhile, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has tabled a resolution in the Senate, highlighting the urgent need for coordinated humanitarian and agricultural measures in response to the devastating floods.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari criticised the federal government, saying the delay in seeking international assistance to deal with the climate disaster was “incomprehensible.”
Bilawal questioned why the centre had not yet approached the global community despite the scale of the calamity.
In a post on X, Bilawal welcomed the government’s declaration of a climate and agricultural emergency but demanded that relief be provided through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). He also expressed solidarity with farmers, noting they were the worst hit by the latest floods.
“This is the global standard in such disasters — it was done during past floods, when I was foreign minister, and previously after the 2010 floods and the 2005 earthquake. Countries around the world take such steps within the first 72 hours after a disaster.”
IDB pledges $600m for Pakistan’s flood-affected areas
He stressed that there was no justification for depriving millions of victims of this aid.
Senate resolution
The resolution, moved by PPP Senator Sherry Rehman, underscored the urgent need for humanitarian aid, including waiving electricity bills for millions of flood-affected and displaced citizens.
Key points included recognising the crisis as a “climate, flood, agricultural and humanitarian emergency.”
The PPP statement said the resolution noted that delays in securing aid were unacceptable despite the pace of global response.
It stated that widespread crop destruction and mass displacement had created a “multifaceted crisis,” requiring both urgent national action and robust international support.
The federal government was urged to accelerate direct cash transfers to affected farmers and displaced families through BISP, as was done successfully in 2022.
It also called for the provision of essential healthcare services and medicines.
The resolution stressed the need for the government of Pakistan to “immediately launch an international flash appeal through the United Nations to mobilise timely donor support.”
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