Daily Times

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered the immediate evacuation of around 700 tourists who were still stranded in Swat valley’s Kalam. He has provided his helicopter for the airlift operation. The road link to Kalam remains suspended after floods destroyed bridges and roads in the valley. Only areas up to Bahrain are accessible by road. The prime minister arrived in Kalam on Wednesday and met with stranded tourists. A woman from Karachi told him that tourists who could pull some strings had been airlifted while others were left behind. Shehbaz Sharif assured her that he will monitor the rescue efforts himself. He issued instructions to speed up the evacuation of tourists and other people. The military has been airlifting tourists for the past few days but Shehbaz Sharif has also provided a federal government helicopter reserved for the prime minister. Shehbaz Sharif announced that he was tasking the Frontier Works Organization (FWO) with the repairs of damaged roads.