General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), said on Tuesday that legal action should be taken against authorities who authorised development on riverbanks in Swat despite the fact that numerous hotels were wiped away by raging floodwaters.

During his trip to the flood-ravaged districts of Swat, he made these comments in order to acquire a “on-the-ground” update about the evacuation and relief activities that have been focused on the people who are stuck in Kumrat, Kalam, and the adjacent areas.

At the Kanju Cantt Helipad, the commander in chief of the army participated in a short conversation with members of the media. He said that an evaluation of the damage caused by the flood has not yet been conducted, and that the district administration, province governments, and the army would work together to conduct the survey for an evaluation of the losses.
In addition, General Bajwa said that there has been a significant amount of damage inflicted to the hotels and bridges in the Kalam valley.
He said that in 2010, floods caused a similar catastrophe in Swat. “However, the authorities once again shown their carelessness by allowing susceptible areas to be used for the development of hotels and other structures, as stated in the COAS report. “Those responsible ought to be held legally accountable for their actions.”

The Chief of Army Staff said that the opening of Kalam Road was the most essential assignment at this time, and he anticipated that the road will be restored within the next six to seven days.

According to Gen. Bajwa, rescue efforts are now underway in Kalam, and there is no longer an emergency situation in the valley at this time.

He said that the number of people who had responded to the request for assistance in the aftermath of the flood was staggering. At this time, several charitable organisations, political groups, and even the Pakistani military have created their very own relief centres to assist those in need.

According to the commander of the army, a new headquarters modelled like NCOC has been built, and it will be used to gather information on help. According to the information provided by the central office, the minister responsible for planning and development will dispatch help wherever it is required.

According to Gen. Bajwa, locals have contributed tonnes of food to help those affected by the disaster. However, the most pressing issue is not a lack of meals but rather inadequate shelter.

He said that attempts are now being made to get tents from other nations, and that the army is also providing tents at this time.

According to the Chief of Army Staff, Sindh and Balochistan need more tents. He went on to say that relief planes were beginning to arrive from the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and China, and that aircraft were also arriving from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

In addition to this, he said that financial contributions in the form of grants and gifts would be accepted.

According to Gen. Bajwa, friendly nations have never abandoned Pakistan when it was going through a tough period, and they would not abandon the country while it is going through this difficult moment too.

In addition, he expressed gratitude for the donations made by Pakistanis living outside of the country in support of those affected by the disaster.

As part of the recovery operations, prefabricated homes built by the army commander will be distributed to those who were displaced by the flood.

He said that Swat was not dealing with a serious catastrophe like Sindh and Balochistan were, where four feet of accumulated rain water had caused whole villages to be wiped away owing to floods. He claimed that Swat was not suffering the same problem.

He also said that there were tourist families who were carried to the Kanju cantonment as victims.

The ISPR said that the COAS spent time with evacuees, who expressed gratitude to the Pakistan Army for coming to their rescue at a time when they needed assistance the most and offering solace not only to them, but also to their families back at home, who were anxiously awaiting their safe return.

Additionally, he conducted an aerial survey to assess the level of destruction caused by floods as well as the relief efforts made by army troops in a variety of areas, such as the districts of Kalam, Bahrain, Khwazakhela, and Matta in the province of Swat.