The federal government, on the direction of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, on Friday declared emergency in the country’s rain and flood affected areas. The prime minister has also directed the Ministry of Finance to immediately release Rs. 5 billion to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), a press release issued by the PM Media Wing here said. He was presiding over a meeting held here to review the flood situation, which was attended by federal ministers, advisors, members of parliament, chief secretaries of all provinces including Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan, Chairman NDMA and Director General Met Office. During the meeting, the Prime Minister was briefed in detail about the ongoing rescue and relief operations in the country. Describing the rescue, relief and rehabilitation of the flood-hit people as a national obligation, he said, “We have to help masses beyond our political interests.” The prime minister said that during his visit to the flood affected areas he talked about unity and national cohesion so that this big challenge could be tackled collectively. The prime minister also constituted a high-level committee to ensure effective rescue and relief activities through coordination between NDMA and the Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs). The committee will comprise Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Communication Maulana Asad Mahmood, Minister for Housing and Works Maulana Abdul Wasay, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Javed Abbasi, Advisor to PM on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan Qamar Zaman Kaira, Chairman NDMA and Secretary Communication.