ISLAMABAD: On Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif instructed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to sustain tight coordination with provincial administrations to prevent potential emergencies amid the current monsoon season, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
The PMO revealed that the premier issued these instructions while meeting with NDMA Chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik.
He emphasized that collaboration with provincial governments and Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs) must be intensified throughout the monsoon period, the office added.
During the session, officials updated the prime minister on national readiness to address any monsoon-related crises.
He also received details regarding the full activation of the early warning system and strengthened partnership with the Ministry of Climate Change to support these efforts.
Across the region, monsoon showers from June through September provide relief from intense heat and are vital for restoring water reserves. Yet, severe rainfall often unleashes fatal flooding, landslides, and forced displacements, especially in at-risk, inadequately drained, or heavily populated zones.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) seasonal forecast, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) along with neighboring areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should anticipate near-average precipitation during the 2026 monsoon.
The forecast further notes that temperatures across most of the Hindu Kush–Karakoram–Himalaya (HKH) region will likely exceed normal levels, with more pronounced anomalies expected in eastern GB and surrounding territories. Elevated temperatures could speed up snow and glacial melt, thereby increasing river volumes during the monsoon.
