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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and ����ֱ�� on Tuesday agreed to enhance and strengthen the scope of their existing bilateral defense ties, with a renewed focus on naval cooperation and regional maritime security, said an official statement.

The announcement came during a meeting between Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf and Chief of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF) Vice Admiral Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Ghuraybi at Pakistan Navy Headquarters in Islamabad.

The two sides reaffirmed their longstanding defense partnership, particularly between their navies, which have conducted regular joint drills and personnel exchanges over the years.

“The leaders discussed matters of mutual interest, regional maritime security situation and avenues for enhanced cooperation in defense, training and security,” the Pakistan Navy said in a statement. “Both leaders pledged to further strengthen and diversify the scope of existing bilateral defense relationship.”

The two commanders also appreciated the successful conduct of the latest iteration of the joint naval exercise Naseem Al Bahr-XV in the North Arabian Sea earlier this year.

Admiral Ashraf briefed his counterpart on Pakistan Navy’s Regional Maritime Security Patrols (RMSP) initiative to maintain maritime order, secure sea lanes and counter non-traditional threats such as piracy and smuggling across the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean region.

Pakistan is also a key participant in the US-led Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), a 41-nation coalition based in Bahrain that conducts maritime security and counter-piracy operations across 3.2 million square miles of international waters.

It has previously commanded Combined Task Force (CTF)-150 and CTF-151, focused on maritime security and counter-piracy respectively, reinforcing its role as a regional maritime security provider.

The statement said Vice Admiral Al Ghuraybi acknowledged Pakistan Navy’s role in collaborative maritime efforts and commended the professional training being imparted to RSNF cadets at the Pakistan Naval Academy and onboard Pakistan Navy ships.

The Saudi delegation was also presented a Guard of Honour and briefed by senior officers at Naval Headquarters.

The Pakistan Navy said the visit would further deepen defense ties and enhance naval collaboration between the two brotherly countries.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed authorities to expedite rescue operations in flood-affected areas, his office said, as torrential monsoon rains killed at least 15 people during the last 24 hours in the country’s northern areas. 

At least 10 people were killed and two injured during the last 24 hours in rain-related incidents across Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the provincial disaster management authority (PDMA) KP said in its report on Tuesday. Separately, a Gilgit-Baltistan official confirmed five people had died, among them four tourists, while several were reported missing after a cloudburst near the popular Babusar Road triggered floods and landslides in the area on Monday afternoon. 

In a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Sharif expressed sorrow at the loss of lives caused by heavy rains and floods in several parts of the country.

“The prime minister directed that rescue operations in flood-affected areas be expedited,” the PMO said, directing the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to remain in constant contact with provincial authorities and other government departments. 

Sharif directed the authorities to provide immediate relief to the people, saying that all preparations to deal with any possible situation in the coming days should be completed. 

He directed the National Highway Authority (NHA) and Frontier Works Organization (FWO) to accelerate restoration work on highways and link roads affected by the floods. 

Heavy rains led to urban flooding in Islamabad’s Saidpur Village on Monday, as footage shared widely on social media showed severely damaged cars being swept away by raging currents in nullahs.

The prime minister also expressed grief over news reports of a father and his daughter being swept away in their car by floodwaters in Islamabad’s Defense Housing Authority Phase 5 area.

A video being shared widely on social media and television channels showed the car being swept away by the floodwater, with a man calling out for help from within the vehicle. Local media widely reported that authorities had launched a rescue operation to recover the father and daughter. 

“The prime minister directed that all possible efforts be made to rescue the father and daughter swept away in the floodwater with their vehicle,” the PMO said. 

As per the PDMA KP’s preliminary report issued on Tuesday, the 10 victims of rain-related incidents include two men, two women and six children while the injured includes a man and one child. 

The incidents occurred in various districts of the province such as Swat, Bajaur, Buner, Upper Kohistan, Upper Chitral and Shangla, as per the PDMA report.

The development takes place as the death toll from rain-related incidents in Pakistan since June 26 has surged to 221, as per the NDMA’s latest situation report.

Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province has reported the highest number of deaths at 135, followed by 46 in KP, 22 in Sindh, 16 in Balochistan, and one each in the federal capital of Islamabad and Azad Kashmir.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department warned this week that landslides and mudslides may block roads in vulnerable areas of Murree, Galliyat, Azad Kashmir and GB, forecasting heavy rains till July 25. Torrential rains, windstorms and lightning could also damage weak structures, electric poles, billboards, vehicles and solar panels, it added.

Monsoon season brings South Asia 70 to 80 percent of its annual rainfall, arriving in early June in India and late June in Pakistan, and lasting through until September.

However, Pakistan is ranked consistently among countries most affected by climate change impacts. Pakistan has witnessed irregular weather patterns in recent years, which include heavy rains, droughts and soaring temperatures. 

In 2022, record-breaking monsoon rains combined with glacial melt submerged nearly a third of Pakistan, killing more than 1,700 people and displacing over 8 million. In May, at least 32 people were killed in severe storms, including strong hailstorms.