PTVNEWS — broadcast
20260920 180000 UTC
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[00:00:16] In District Hangu, there was an exchange of fire between the Security Forces and the Khawarij.
[00:00:20] Eight terrorists went to hell. Six soldiers, including two officers, were martyred fighting bravely against the Indian-backed Khawarij.
[00:00:23] Among the martyrs are Captain Abuzar Farooq and
[00:00:28] the compensation we pay, Lieutenant Shiraz Babar.
[00:00:31] Security forces are determined to completely eliminate terrorism
[00:00:34] under the firm resolve
[00:00:36] campaign.
[00:00:41] President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif paid tribute to the security forces
[00:00:45] for sending eight terrorists to hell in District Hangu.
[00:00:48] Homage was paid to the martyred Captain Abuzar Farooq, Lieutenant
[00:00:52] Shiraz Babar, and four soldiers. The President and Prime Minister expressed
[00:00:56] heartfelt condolences to the families of the martyrs. The sacrifices of the security forces and law enforcement
[00:01:03] of these is that your individuals. We will talk about how this agencies will not go in vain. .
[00:01:04] گی۔
[00:01:09] The 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly will be attended by Prime Minister Muhammad
[00:01:12] Shahbaz Sharif, who will represent Pakistan and deliver a speech
[00:01:14] their flood equipment. at the General Assembly session. Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar
[00:01:18] left for New York to attend the session.
[00:01:19] and find out how this institution is working in Punjab. The Deputy Prime Minister will attend the OIC Contact Group meeting on Occupied Kashmir.
[00:01:23] Pakistan's continuous support for the Kashmiris' right to self-determination and
[00:01:26] the rights of oppressed Palestinians.
[00:01:36] No violent group will be allowed
[00:01:38] with the Meteorological to enter Islamabad.
[00:01:41] with the Federal The Islamabad High Court has clear orders regarding road closures and disruption of public movement.
[00:01:44] Administrative and judicial orders will be strictly
[00:01:46] Our enforced. Jamaat-e-Islami members are peaceful and reasonable.
[00:01:49] There is contact with these people at all levels. Minister of Information and Broadcasting
[00:01:53] Ataullah Khan's press
[00:01:56] conference.
[00:02:00] Due to the tension in the region, oil prices are continuously increasing.
[00:02:04] In the current situation, the Prime Minister has launched a special relief program
[00:02:08] for the middle and poor classes. The special fuel scheme
[00:02:11] is successfully ongoing. The Prime Minister himself is monitoring it. This special
[00:02:15] scheme is only for the common man. So far, 2.2 million people
[00:02:18] have registered under the scheme. Minister of
[00:02:21] Information.
[00:02:26] The economic journey is moving from stability to economic development.
[00:02:35] and largely affect
[00:02:45] and issuing alerts accordingly.
[00:02:47] earlier,
[00:02:47] And these alerts
[00:03:00] Implementation of the directive to include 20-year-old motorcycles, rickshaws, and Changchi rickshaws is underway.
[00:03:03] All registered motorcycles, rickshaws, and Changchi rickshaws after January 1, 2006
[00:03:08] we see heavy rains are eligible for the full relief scheme.
[00:03:11] Those who fill less than 5 liters of petrol will also get a discount of 500 rupees per token
[00:03:15] in a week. A total of four tokens
[00:03:18] will be issued in a month.
[00:03:21] that are vulnerable, and .
[00:03:22] ہونگے۔
[00:03:26] PDMA, what resources PTI's Junaid Akbar's inciting
[00:03:28] statements on September 27th. A plan to make the protest violent
[00:03:32] has come to light, causing a wave of concern among the public. Junaid Akbar's politics of dead bodies
[00:03:36] and statements of violent protest and threats to destroy the federal
[00:03:39] capital. The government and law enforcement agencies are already
[00:03:43] monitoring the situation in view of the potential
[00:03:46] for violent situations.
[00:03:49] .
[00:03:56] who is the first responder The objective of PTI is to spread at night. chaos and destruction in the country. Junaid Akbar's statement reveals the intention to spread
[00:04:00] chaos and destruction. They do not believe in peaceful
[00:04:04] protest. There is a fear of violence and bloodshed under the guise of protest.
[00:04:08] Blocking roads and disrupting public life
[00:04:11] will not be allowed at all. Minister of Information and Broadcasting
[00:04:15] Ataullah's reaction to Junaid Akbar's violent statement.
[00:04:18] .
[00:04:22] and sheltered Afghans for five decades and contributed with our limited resources.
[00:04:26] Our mosques, schools, markets, and .
[00:04:58] Secondly,
[00:05:30] Assalam-o-Alaikum, I am Komal Saleem with the program Face to Face. Viewers, natural
[00:05:34] disasters are a big challenge for any region. Floods,
[00:05:38] heavy rains, earthquakes, landslides, heatwaves, smog, and other emergencies require
[00:05:42] timely forecasting, effective planning, rescue, relief, and
[00:05:46] rehabilitation, which are of utmost importance. In Punjab, to deal with all these
[00:05:49] emergencies, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) plays
[00:05:53] a key role. This institution coordinates
[00:05:56] with various departments and district administrations,
[00:06:00] as well as identifies risks, prepares
[00:06:04] for them, responds to emergencies,
[00:06:06] and coordinates relief and rehabilitation efforts
[00:06:10] for affected
[00:06:13] institution is working in Punjab in today's program. So let's go.
[00:06:17] اج کے پروگرام میں تو ائیے چلتے
[00:06:19] ہیں
[00:06:26] Yes, viewers, at this moment, DG PDMA Saf Anwar Jappa Sahib is present with me. We will talk to him
[00:06:32] Assalam-o-Alaikum. Wa-Alaikum-Assalam. Thank you very much for giving us your valuable time today.
[00:06:36] First of all, please tell the viewers what is the basic
[00:06:39] function of PDMA .
[00:08:12] The coordination mechanism for disaster-related eventualities
[00:08:15] is issued by the PDMA. Sir, every year
[00:08:20] , floods, and other natural
[00:08:24] disasters. What is PDMA's overall
[00:08:27] strategy to deal with these risks
[00:08:31] ? Look, over the years, SOPs
[00:08:35] have been developed. Obviously, repeated challenges
[00:08:38] came. In 2010
[00:09:12] , we were greatly blessed by Allah that no major challenge came.
[00:09:16] The rivers had water, but not
[00:09:20] to the level that a flood situation would develop.
[00:09:23] A challenge came in Sheikhupura in the last week of July.
[00:09:27] That was also due to the Nala Dek, which
[00:09:31] had rain in its catchment area upstream and then local
[00:09:34] rain, which caused it to breach. Our tehsils of Muridke and
[00:09:38] Ferozwala were affected.
[00:09:41] So, what I was saying is that as soon
[00:09:45] as this monsoon season ends, the PDMA
[00:09:48] will conduct a post-monsoon season evaluation
[00:09:52] of where the challenges came from,
[00:09:55] how we improved this year compared to last year,
[00:09:58] and how we will address those areas that remained
[00:10:02] unaddressed. For example, when the 2025 flood
[00:10:06] came, you yourself saw that the area of Multan
[00:10:09] and Muzaffargarh Ali Pur tehsil.
[00:10:18] And when a post-flood analysis was done,
[00:10:21] this year, by the grace of Allah, the Government of Punjab,
[00:10:25] with the efforts and kindness
[00:10:28] of the Chief Minister, built
[00:10:31] three flood protection bunds
[00:10:35] in Multan and Muzaffargarh in a very
[00:10:38] short time, which significantly minimized the challenge of last year
[00:10:41] in Ali Pur and Jalalpur Pirwala and
[00:10:45] Shujabad this year. And this was done in a very short time, and in a very
[00:10:48] short time, I mean, building 20 kilometers of flood protection
[00:10:51] bunds, these were projects worth 3.5 billion, and their construction was completed
[00:10:55] in four months. I would like to appreciate
[00:10:58] the Irrigation Department and the local administration, especially
[00:11:02] the Commissioner Multan, who worked a lot on this. I would also like to appreciate
[00:11:05] them for taking such a big flood protection in six
[00:11:09] months. So, even now, PDMA
[00:11:12] will sit down.
[00:11:14] It will evaluate where our weak areas were,
[00:11:18] where there were gaps. By identifying
[00:11:21] them, the preparation for next year will be improved.
[00:11:25] And we also start preparing for next year.
[00:11:29] From March, we start evaluating districts.
[00:11:33] We start asking for their contingency plans.
[00:11:36] We start validating
[00:11:39] We start its repair and maintenance.
[00:11:42] There is a proper checklist. Then there is also
[00:11:46] third-party validation. And since
[00:11:48] last year, a very big flood of 2025
[00:11:52] passed through us. And the Chief Minister knew about the challenges
[00:11:55] and also knew about the gaps. So this time, the Chief Minister
[00:11:59] did this that the third-party validation that happened, the preparation that the districts
[00:12:03] had done, it was also checked by the Chief Minister's inspection team.
[00:12:07] A second tier of checking was also kept,
[00:12:10] and the gaps that came up were also addressed.
[00:12:14] So our preparation starts, and before the next flood season,
[00:12:17] we are largely able to restore our things.
[00:12:20] God forbid.
[00:12:24] نخواستہ
[00:12:55] If a medium-level flood has come, then which
[00:12:58] areas, how much population, how much
[00:13:01] infrastructure has been affected, how many crops have been affected, and
[00:13:05] if it is a high flood, then how much area has become vulnerable?
[00:13:09] So, taking the flood plain into account, the PDMA
[00:13:12] has compiled data in collaboration with the urban unit,
[00:13:16] which has been compiled for all the districts
[00:13:19] of Punjab. We call it MHVRA.
[00:13:23] کو ہم ایم ایچ وی ار اے کہتے
[00:13:25] ہیں
[00:13:31] is being done for the areas that are vulnerable so that, God forbid,
[00:13:34] if such an eventuality of flood comes,
[00:13:37] we are prepared before that. First,
[00:13:41] we should identify those target areas
[00:13:46] accordingly, we have to activate this response. So, this
[00:13:50] MHVRA data that has been compiled will benefit
[00:13:54] us a lot. Our response will be adequate
[00:13:58] accordingly. In this, we will measure the response
[00:14:01] time, and we will work
[00:14:05] on disaster risk reduction
[00:14:08] for the critical areas or the most vulnerable areas. Sir,
[00:14:12] as this whole procedure is being told,
[00:14:14] this is a continuous process and it continues
[00:14:18] throughout the year. And we have seen that last year, the
[00:14:21] biggest in history
[00:15:03] , it's understandable that you understood all these things and looked at the challenges.
[00:15:07] So, how challenging was it, and how was this experience
[00:15:11] of the Chief Minister's trust in giving you charge in such a short time and then taking
[00:15:15] over all the things? Look, first of all, thanks to the Chief
[00:15:19] Minister for trusting me.
[00:15:23] since I had a little
[00:15:25] background experience of flood management.
[00:15:29] I was Deputy Commissioner
[00:15:32] in Muzaffargarh in 2017-18.
[00:15:36] And Muzaffargarh
[00:15:55] I also had a little experience in this regard, that the PDMA has a warehouse where flood equipment and
[00:15:59] firefighting equipment is stored, and that is in Muzaffargarh. So, I used to frequently
[00:16:03] visit it before the flood season because I had to validate
[00:16:06] all the equipment that was there. So, that background
[00:16:09] experience helped me a lot in the field.
[00:16:13] I have been Deputy Commissioner in three districts, so every year I have to prepare for floods.
[00:16:17] In Gujarat,
[00:16:21] I served, and Gujarat is also a vulnerable district, especially in terms of urban flooding.
[00:16:24] So, that background experience
[00:16:28] supported me greatly. And frankly,
[00:16:32] the team here, since I came right in the middle
[00:16:35] of
[00:16:41] but it didn't take me long to understand things,
[00:16:45] and by the grace of Allah, we managed our things
[00:16:49] timely under the guidance of the Chief Minister. And the biggest challenge
[00:16:53] that came in Sheikhupura was solved in days, Alhamdolillah.
[00:16:56] Sir, if we talk about weather forecasting and early
[00:17:00] warning, and how to convert them into practical
[00:17:03] measures, and how are the contacts with the Meteorological Department,
[00:17:07] district administration, and other institutions?
[00:17:11] Look, we have excellent coordination with NDMA,
[00:17:16] Department,
[00:17:18] Forecasting Division, the Flood Forecasting Division.
[00:17:24] Provincial Control Center established here,
[00:17:27] the Emergency Control Center,
[00:17:30] operates 24/7. People
[00:17:34] monitor every single thing.
[00:18:07] The seasonal nullahs that come from Jammu
[00:18:12] Narowal, Sialkot, Gujranwala,
[00:18:16] their data is constantly coming in. So, we are proactively
[00:18:19] monitoring everything
[00:18:24] that we issue, we disseminate them to people through social media.
[00:18:28] Then our coordination at the district level,
[00:18:32] we also have emergency control centers at the district level.
[00:18:35] People are present. God forbid, if such
[00:18:39] an alert comes, then through our DCOs or District Emergency Control
[00:18:43] Centers, we activate the machinery of those districts.
[00:18:46] Similarly, you must also know
[00:18:50] that the Irrigation Department is also active
[00:18:53] during the flood season. Their monitoring also
[00:18:56] runs round the clock. So,
[00:18:59] all our flood-fighting departments, similarly,
[00:19:03] Rescue 112, the Chief Minister this year
[00:19:29] . Operations are stopped
[00:19:33] ہے
[00:19:36] There was also a risk that, God forbid, another incident might not
[00:19:40] happen. So, to prevent that,
[00:19:42] GPS-monitored boats
[00:19:46] have been purchased. In this regard, we also had a program with Dr. Rizwan Sahib a few days ago,
[00:19:50] and he said that all the demands that were given to the Chief Minister,
[00:19:54] all our requirements have been fulfilled much
[00:19:58] earlier this time. Is it before these alerts?
[00:20:02] Yes, it was like that. I myself visited Rescue 112.
[00:20:06] They have the latest
[00:20:17] system, how it works, as I mentioned that our
[00:20:21] Provincial Control Center is established here.
[00:20:24] It is active around the clock.
[00:20:28] We have dedicated WhatsApp groups.
[00:20:30] Whenever we receive
[00:20:34] any such forecast
[00:20:44] or through the Meteorological Department, we immediately circulate it and activate the concerned departments. Then we have also done this
[00:20:48] that some vulnerable areas that are already
[00:20:51] declared vulnerable based on years of experience,
[00:20:55] where waterlogging occurs, which are vulnerable,
[00:20:58] or where flood comes, then in advance,
[00:21:01] the flood-fighting equipment, boats,
[00:21:04] life rings,
[00:21:07] all that is placed there beforehand
[00:21:10] so that, God forbid, if any challenge comes,
[00:21:14] the equipment is available there on time
[00:21:17] so that the response is similar.
[00:22:05] including Gujranwala, Sialkot,
[00:22:08] Narowal, Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, even
[00:22:12] Lahore. So, challenges remain there, but this time, I must say,
[00:22:15] it was handled on an emergency
[00:22:19] basis because the Chief Minister
[00:22:22] had WASAs, which were earlier at divisional
[00:22:26] headquarters, less equipped,
[00:22:28] resource-deficient, and they were not in all of Punjab.
[00:22:32] Now WASA is in every district of Punjab, and then WASA was also
[00:22:36] provided with machinery
[00:22:40] in thousands, and all kinds of
[00:22:43] machinery were provided, which includes equipment
[00:22:47] to fight urban flooding. And besides that, there is a Punjab
[00:22:51] Development Program of the Chief Minister, in which the sewerage system
[00:22:54] of all these vulnerable districts
[00:22:58] is being upgraded. Stormwater drains
[00:23:02] are being built. Water disposal
[00:23:05] stations, which treat sewage
[00:23:08] or otherwise throw it out, the number of these disposal stations
[00:23:12] is being increased, and new machinery has been procured,
[00:23:16] and a proper audit has been done. So this time, and the waterlogging time
[00:23:20] in rain, if I tell you, only in Pindi,
[00:23:23] in the entire monsoon season, more than 1500 millimeters of
[00:23:27] rain occurred. Similarly, in Lahore, more than 100 millimeters of
[00:23:31] rain occurred. Gujranwala, these are the cities that
[00:23:34] crossed thousands. Sialkot and Gujrat.
[00:23:37] So, the waterlogging time
[00:23:41] and duration in urban flooding, if in 2024
[00:23:44] water stood for five hours in one place, then in 2025
[00:23:48] it came down to two hours.
[00:23:50] In 2026, it is now in minutes, and in many places where waterlogging
[00:23:54] used to happen, it has been totally eliminated. Sir, at this moment, if we talk about
[00:23:58] PDMA's modern technology and resources,
[00:24:01] as we are currently discussing that Rescue 112 has been greatly
[00:24:05] facilitated with new technology and new boats,
[00:24:09] and WASA has been provided with heavy
[00:24:12] technology. If we talk about
[00:24:16] and technologies does it currently have?
[00:24:20] Look, when the 2025 flood
[00:24:22] came,
[00:24:24] many lessons were learned from it. And since the Chief Minister
[00:24:28] herself was monitoring that flood
[00:24:31] and was overseeing rescue operations
[00:24:35] and rehabilitation, when PDMA
[00:24:38] was evaluated, the deficiencies in PDMA were highlighted.
[00:24:42] Among them, one was that PDMA's footprint
[00:24:45] is not at the district level. PDMA is a centralized institution
[00:24:49] at the provincial level that was coordinating
[00:24:52] things with the cooperation of the district administration and Rescue
[00:24:56] 112. But it was realized
[00:25:00] that with the big challenges that are coming due to climate
[00:25:03] change or the kind of hazards that will be there,
[00:25:07] to manage these hazards, PDMA will also have to become efficient
[00:25:11] in its preparedness and capacity building
[00:25:15] at the same level. So, for that, the Chief Minister
[00:25:18] allowed
[00:25:21] us to take PDMA to the district level.
[00:25:24] Some 230 new people who will be sector
[00:25:28] experts, who will be dedicated environmentalists,
[00:25:31] who will be making predictions, who will be doing analysis,
[00:25:34] we are going to hire those dedicated
[00:25:37] domain experts, and at the district level,
[00:25:40] 8 to 10 people from PDMA will be present
[00:25:44] to help the concerned DC.
[00:25:47] They will be providing analysis,
[00:25:51] collecting data, and providing forecasts.
[00:25:54] This is one thing that the Chief Minister has been kind
[00:25:58] to PDMA in terms of capacity building.
[00:26:02] Secondly, she told us to create
[00:26:05] an Integrated Disaster Management System so that you have
[00:26:09] real-time data. Our project
[00:26:12] has been approved by PITB. We have made its PC one.
[00:26:16] Now, real-time forecasting and analysis
[00:26:19] will happen. Response
[00:26:22] will be activated and monitored on it.
[00:26:24] All the rescue operations, then
[00:26:28] rehabilitation,
[00:26:30] all of this we are going to digitize.
[00:26:34] Thirdly, she also did us a favor that
[00:26:38] the warehouses that we currently
[00:26:41] have, we already have two warehouses where our
[00:26:44] equipment is stored, one in Muzaffargarh and one in Lahore.
[00:26:48] So, in the previous ADP, we were allowed to build three more
[00:26:52] warehouses in Sargodha, Jhang, and Rajanpur.
[00:26:55] Now they are almost complete. In this ADP,
[00:26:59] nine more warehouses will come in nine more cities.
[00:27:02] The advantage
[00:27:05] response time that was previously five
[00:27:09] hours, six hours, if I had to mobilize
[00:27:12] a machinery from here Lahore to Muzaffargarh
[00:27:16] or to Rahim Yar Khan,
[00:27:19] now Rahim Yar Khan will have its own warehouse, the nine that we
[00:27:23] are going to build. So, the response time will also be reduced
[00:27:27] significantly. So, the loss will start to decrease.
[00:27:30] So, that expansion of our
[00:27:34] warehousing facility is going to happen.
[00:27:38] So, PDMA also, with the big challenges,
[00:27:42] the Chief Minister has been kind in capacity building
[00:27:45] and has given us these projects. And God forbid, if a flood
[00:27:49] comes, we will make our preparations
[00:27:52] accordingly. Sir, let's go for a break now, and after the break, we will continue
[00:27:55] our program.
[00:27:57] ہیں۔
[00:28:12] Welcome back, viewers. We are discussing how the PDMA
[00:28:16] department is working in Punjab. DG Sahib is with us.
[00:28:19] Sir, before the break, as we were talking about PDMA's modern resources,
[00:28:23] in the modern era, with the help of satellite data, geographical information, and other
[00:28:27] technologies, how have measures been taken for forecasting, monitoring, and reducing
[00:28:31] damage? You explained in great detail
[00:28:35] before the break that these are the facilities. Now, using these facilities,
[00:28:39] what will happen in the future? We will be pre-planned,
[00:28:42] and how will the damage be reduced?
[00:28:46] Look, as I mentioned
[00:28:49] the kind of big challenge that is coming
[00:28:53] or is expected due to climate change,
[00:28:56] the kind of hazards there are,
[00:29:00] similarly, PDMA is also
[00:29:03] expanding. Our central control
[00:29:06] room, which is established here,
[00:29:10] is active 24/7. And we have access
[00:29:14] to satellite imagery. We have signed an MoU
[00:29:18] with SPARCO. SPARCO gives us real-time data. So, the data
[00:29:21] we receive, and where we anticipate
[00:29:24] a response, and that response has to be proactive,
[00:29:28] we immediately mobilize our district machinery
[00:29:31] and the concerned institutions.
[00:29:35] And so far, thank God, no such big challenge has come where we felt
[00:29:39] that there was a lack of coordination somewhere or that
[00:29:43] there was no realization that this is not our job.
[00:29:46] Under the guidance of the Chief Minister,
[00:29:49] every department of the Government of Punjab
[00:29:52] works as a team and a unit.
[00:29:56] It is not seen
[00:29:59] and who is the second. Whoever is nearby
[00:30:02] is the first responder, and whoever gets to know first
[00:30:06] will respond first, and others will stand
[00:30:10] in support. Let's continue this discussion. In flood-prone areas, as we were discussing,
[00:30:13] the response time should be as short
[00:30:17] as possible. But how is the deployment
[00:30:21] of rescue boats, machinery, other staff,
[00:30:24] and other resources done there?
[00:30:28] Is it estimated beforehand that a flood of this level
[00:30:32] or a natural disaster of this level is coming,
[00:30:36] so things are provided there beforehand? First, there is institutional
[00:30:39] memory. We know that these are vulnerable
[00:30:43] areas, and if a low-level flood comes, these areas
[00:30:47] will definitely be hit. Similarly, if a medium-level
[00:30:51] flood comes, these areas will be hit. If a high-level flood comes, these areas will be hit.
[00:30:55] So, under this institutional memory, the areas that we have already
[00:30:58] identified.