Following the directives of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, an Emergency Response Committee was constituted during the Prime Minister's meeting on Early Warning Systems and Monsoon Preparedness held on 01 July 2026. The Committee held its inaugural meeting today at NDMA Headquarters, Islamabad.
The meeting was convened via video link by the Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Professor Ahsan Iqbal. It was attended by the Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Mr. Musadik Malik, Chairman NDMA, Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik, HI(M), along with representatives from relevant Federal Ministries, Divisions, and Departments.
The Chair welcomed the members of the committee and underscored the importance of the Committee in strengthening national preparedness and ensuring effective coordination during the ongoing Monsoon Season 2026.
The Committee has been mandated to oversee national preparedness and emergency response coordination throughout the monsoon season. It comprises the Federal Ministers for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives (Convener), Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Communications, Power, Water Resources, National Food Security and Research, Information, and Information Technology & Telecommunication, along with the Secretaries of the respective ministries, Chairman NDMA and Chairman WAPDA. As notified by the Prime Minister's Office, NDMA will serve as the Secretariat of the Committee. NDMA briefed on seasonal projections, major incidents reported and national readiness state.
The Committee discussed the way forward for accomplishing the tasks assigned as per the Terms of Reference (TORs) notified by the Prime Minister's Office. Members reviewed the national coordination framework designed to ensure effective preparedness and response throughout the monsoon season. The Committee also approved the inclusion of the Chief Secretaries of all provinces as co-opted members.
The committee noted that the poly crises emanating from monsoon 2026 and beyond need to be crystalized to enable national response for making arrangements. Shrinking glaciers and increasing droughts / dry monsoon in most part of Pakistan are likely to trigger stress situation for agriculture sector leading to gross food security hazard. Minister Ahsan Iqbal asked the Ministry of Food Security to simultaneously work with NEOC for development of long range projections upto 2027.
The Committee emphasized the importance of proactive planning and seamless inter-agency coordination for prompt implementation of preparedness measures to minimize the impact of disasters.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment by all participating ministries and organizations to maintain close coordination and ensure a unified national response for safeguarding lives, livelihoods and critical infrastructure during Monsoon 2026.
