PM Shehbaz seeks expansion of Pakistan-China partnership to deal with natural calamities

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has appreciated China’s use of modern technology and techniques to deal with the natural calamities, saying that it will also prove to be very helpful in Pakistan.

He expressed these views during his visit to the National Facility for Earthquake Engineering Simulation of Tianjin University in China on Sunday, the PM Office said in a statement.

The prime minister expressed the confidence that, by benefiting from Chinese expertise, Pakistan will be able to take effective preventive measures and make strategies to deal with natural disasters in the future.

PM Shehbaz directed that projects such as the International Medical Centre and the China-Pakistan Joint Lab in Pakistan should be made more active and the partnership between both the countries should be further expanded to deal with natural calamities.

He said efforts are afoot at the national level to cope with the recent flood situation in Pakistan, while aid has been sent to the flood-affected areas.

PDMA warns of urban flooding in Lahore, Gujranwala, Gujrat

“The convoys of additional relief supplies have been dispatched by the federal government for the flood affected families in Narowal, Sialkot, Wazirabad, Hafizabad, Chiniot and Jhang,” he said, adding that the relief aid will be handed over to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab.

In view of the flood situation in the country, the prime minister directed the NDMA to remain in touch with the Punjab government and provide full support to the provincial disaster management authorities.

Premier Shehbaz reaffirmed the government’s commitment that relief activities will continue for the flood-affected families.

During the visit, the PM was briefed on disaster management and rescue technologies, including newly developed medical rescue vehicles at the National Earthquake Simulation Center.

He was also briefed on the latest technology developed regarding precautionary measures for natural disasters.

The prime minister was informed that several projects are being executed with mutual cooperation of China and Pakistan in this regard.

He was informed that several projects already exist in this regard and work is also underway on a number of projects with bilateral cooperation. These projects include the China-Pakistan Joint Lab for Disaster and Emergency Medicine, built under the Belt and Road Initiative, the International Medical Cooperation Center, and the China-Pakistan Friendship Hospital.