PM forgives agricultural loans for flood-affected areas of Chitral

CHITRAL: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday forgave agricultural loans for the flood affected areas of Chitral and announced Rs500 million in aid.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has declared Chitral as a disaster stricken area.

Earlier the prime minister arrived in Chitral and took an aerial tour to assess the damage caused by floods which have severed road links leaving hundreds of thousands displaced.

The prime minister accompanied by Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sardar Mehtab Abbasi, Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed, Minister for Climate Change Mushahidullah Khan surveyed the situation and was briefed on the damage caused and relief work underway.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif directed that relief should be provided immediately to people in the affected areas.

Nearly 300,000 people have been displaced due to storms and flooding in Chitral where flood waters have washed away 40 suspension bridges, 104 houses and over a dozen paved roads disconnecting road links between many areas. Due to disruption of water supply, residents of the affected areas are forced to drink dirty water.