Flood-relief activities will not impact fight against Taliban: Pak Army

ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Army has said that the security forces will continue its flood-relief efforts in affected areas, but will not divert forces from the battle against the Taliban.

“The involvement of our troops in relief activities will have no impact on our fight against militants,” The Daily Times quoted Major General Athar Abbas, military spokesman, as saying.

“We were mindful of this factor when we carried out deployment for relief activities and I don’t think there will be any need to withdraw troops from the western border,” he added.

The floods, triggered by torrential monsoon downpours just over two weeks ago, have claimed the lives of over 1,600 people and disrupted the lives of 14 million people, eight percent of the population.

The “worst national disaster in Pakistan’s history” is threatening greater damage as relief and rescue work have been hit badly by continuous rains, particularly in the north western region.

However, the Pakistan Army is leading the relief effort by evacuating people, distributing drinking water, food, medical aid and repairing bridges and roads.

The floods first struck the western province of Baluchistan on July 22 before inundating the worst-hit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and then entering Punjab and Sindh. (ANI)