ISLAMABAD: The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, on Friday received a telephone call from Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of Iran, who extended his deepest condolences and sympathies to the government and people of Pakistan concerning the devastating floods.
The Iranian President expressed solidarity with the affected families and offered Iran’s full support in relief and assistance efforts.
“I’m deeply touched by this gesture of solidarity from our Iranian brothers and sisters, in this hour of pain and suffering,” PM Shehbaz said in a post on X.
Received a very warm telephone call from my brother Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian @drpezeshkian, President of Iran. He extended his deepest condolences for the devastating floods in different parts of Pakistan, offering Iran’s support to the affected families.
I’m deeply touched by this…— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) August 29, 2025
The two leaders also looked forward to their upcoming meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, China, where they plan to discuss further strengthening bilateral relations and matters of mutual interest.
“We look forward to our meeting at the SCO Summit in Tianjin, China,” PM Sharif said.
Meanwhile, authorities have evacuated over 1.4 million people from homes in Punjab province this week, officials said, as the worst flooding there in four decades caused havoc in hundreds of villages and submerged vital grain crops.
Torrential monsoon rain and neighbouring India’s release of excess water from its dams swelled three rivers that flow into the eastern province, forcing authorities to breach river banks in some places, causing flooding in more than 1,400 villages, Punjab’s disaster management authority said.
The latest monsoon downpour has killed at least 13 people, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.
This year, landslides and floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains have killed more than 800 people countrywide since June.
While South Asia’s seasonal monsoon brings rainfall that farmers depend on, climate change is making the phenomenon more erratic, unpredictable, and deadly across the region.
Touring the flood-affected areas on Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasised the country’s vulnerability to climate change-fuelled disasters.
