a report by the Asian Development Bank has rightly pointed out that the lack of an appropriate and comprehensive flood management policy has led to high recovery costs and to ad hoc measures that are not sustainable. The report warns that the Indus Basin lacks an appropriate flood policy, comprehensive laws and adequate flood-control infrastructure and because of this Pakistan suffered cumulative flood damage of $20bn from 1950 to 2010. It has also underlined the urgent need to assess technological, institutional and policy options, and develop an integrated water resources management framework and a flood plan.

Over 16 million or half the worlds population of modern day slaves live in India and Pakistan, according to the inauguralGlobal Slavery Indexpublished Thursday.An estimated 30 million people worldwide are living in modern-day slavery, of which 2.1 million are in Pakistan and a staggering 14 million are based in India.The report by the Walk Free Foundation ranks 162 countries on modern slavery by using reports from governments and non-profit organisations as well as statistical estimates.