Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said that collective efforts by the federal and provincial governments were needed to ensure early rehabilitation of the people affected by flash floods triggered by torrential rains.

The prime minister, during his visit to the flood-hit areas of Tank district of the PTI-governed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, lauded the efforts of the national disaster management and provincial disaster management authorities for their rescue and relief efforts.

Earlier this week, heavy rains wreaked havoc in parts of KP as floodwaters inundated low-lying areas. Over a dozen people lost their lives in heavy rains and floods caused by downpours.

Flash floods also washed away animals and household articles in several places. Extensive damage was caused to farms as well as the road infrastructure.

During his visit to Tank district of DI Khan today, the prime minister urged the KP government to enhance the compensation of Rs 0.8 million for the deceased to Rs1m to bring it at par with that of the Balochistan government.

“Financial compensation is nothing [when compared to loss of lives] but it will help them live through the challenges of life,” he added.

The prime minister said the federal government had increased the cash assistance for the injured from Rs25,000 to Rs250,000 and also announced a compensation of Rs500,000 for houses demolished completely and Rs200,000 for those partially damaged.

The premier also instructed the National Highway Authority to rebuild the houses destroyed by floods under its jurisdiction.

He said he would peruse the surveys of the NDMA and PDMA to assess the damage and decide the possible contribution by the federal government.

The premier lamented that Pakistan was still financially dependent on the International Monetary Fund despite having ample natural resources.

"What kind of independence is this when we are still financially subservient to the IMF," he wondered.

Pakistan Democratic Movement chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who also accompanied the prime minister, said the construction of Tank's Zam dam and other small dams would help save the area and its infrastructure from the floods.

During the briefing, the prime minister was told that the floods had damaged around 11,000 households in the district and caused two deaths besides injuring seven others.