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Amid Floods, Pakistan's Khan Vows To End Karachi 'Neglect'


People make their way through a flooded road from heavy monsoon rains in Karachi on August 12.
People make their way through a flooded road from heavy monsoon rains in Karachi on August 12.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan says his government is drafting a “comprehensive package to end the decades of neglect” in the southern metropolis of Karachi.

Khan made the announcement on Twitter on August 12 after monsoon rains left large parts of Karachi submerged in water.

Electrocution and falling roofs on August 11 caused at least 11 deaths in the city of 20 million people. Electricity supplies have been suspended in some areas.

In his tweet, Khan said he has directed Karachi lawmakers from his Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf (PTI) party in the national and provincial parliaments to “stay in their constituencies and provide assistance to residents” during the ongoing Muslim festival of Eid Al-Adha and Pakistan’s Independence Day, which is marked on August 14.

Pakistan's government in Islamabad “is drafting a comprehensive package to end the decades of neglect and suffering of the people of this great metropolis," Khan wrote.

Precipitation was expected to subside on August 12, with storms expected to move to the Arabian Sea off Karachi's coast.

South Asian countries struggle to cope with the annual monsoon season, which runs from July to September.

Based on reporting by Dawn and AP
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