ISLAMABAD, Aug 4: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif instructed the federal and provincial governments on Sunday to take effective steps to mitigate suffering of people hit by the first flash floods in the country since installation of the PML-N government.

President Zardari expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of lives and devastation caused by torrential rains, flash floods and other rain-related incidents in various parts of the country.

On his part, the prime minister asked three of his cabinet colleagues to immediately visit the flood-hit areas in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and suggest the measures needed to bring the situation under control.

“The president advised the federal and provincial government departments to take every possible step for providing relief to the rain-hit people and evacuating those stranded in water,” President’s Spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar said.

He said the president expressed sympathies with the bereaved families and voiced concern over the incidents of electrocution, which claimed many lives.

Mr Zardari said the affected people should be moved to safe places immediately and tents, rations, drinking water and other basic necessities provided to them.

The president also instructed the authorities concerned to ensure there was no outbreak of water-borne diseases in the affected areas. He said medical camps should be set up for the affected people.

“The president is confident that the federal and provincial governments will do their best to provide relief and rehabilitation to the flood victims,” the spokesman said.

The PM’s statement Mr Sharif asked Minister for Defence Production Rana Tanveer to visit KP, Privatisation Minister Khurram Dastagir Khan to visit Sindh and Minister for States and Frontier Regions retired Gen Abdul Qadir Baloch to visit Balochistan in order to assess the damage caused by the floods in collaboration with the provincial authorities.

He also asked the ministers to suggest what kind of assistance the federal government could provide to the provinces.

The PPP-led coalition government faced two major floods during its tenure. These floods killed hundreds of people and caused damage worth billions of rupees.

The worst flood came in 2010 which according to the United Nations inundated up to 20 per cent of the country and caused a loss of $43 billion.

The 2010 floods not only destroyed houses of millions but also caused damage to crop and livestock on an unprecedented scale.