PM directs one-month waiver on electricity bills in flood-hit areas

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the authorities to grant a one-month waiver on electricity bills in flood-affected areas, ARY News reported on Friday, citing sources.

According to the sources, the prime minister instructed the Ministry of Finance to engage with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) regarding the proposed relief plan.

The prime minister said the waiver would help provide immediate relief to people affected by the floods, and directed the finance ministry to initiate talks with the IMF to seek approval for the measure.

Earlier, Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan said that he would write a special letter to the Prime Minister, requesting a six-month waiver of electricity bills for the flood victims.

During his visit to Mohlanwal in Lahore, the governor met families who said that dowry and household items for their daughters had been washed away by floodwaters.

Sardar Saleem Haider Khan also visited flood-hit areas and relief camps in Chiniot, where he reviewed arrangements for the victims. Deputy Commissioner Safiullah Gondal briefed him on ongoing relief and rehabilitation measures, while District Police Officer Abdullah Ahmed was also present.

The governor inspected the stalls in the camps established in the flood relief camp, Ada Pathankot, and other areas.

He reviewed the presence of doctors at the health camp, and he also visited the field hospital and observed the measures taken for the healthcare of the flood victims.