Pakistan seeks to save economy as more flee floods

Pakistan ordered fresh evacuations from Sindh province as the country struggled to bring relief to millions already displaced by flooding and sought international help to rescue its economy.

Pakistan's finance minister and central bank governor joined International Monetary Fund talks in Washington that are focused on how much the floods have hurt an economy that was already in a parlous state.

Separately, the US State Department said it had "threat information" that foreign aid workers and Pakistani ministries responding to the natural disaster may be targeted by militants.

In northern Sindh, local authorities issued a new evacuation order for Shahdadkot, a town of about 300,000, for the remaining few tens of thousands of people to leave as floodwaters approached the town.

Floodwaters are beginning to recede across the country, but because of high tides in the Arabian Sea and the possibility of more rain, the risk of flooding remains in Sindh.

The spokesman for the powerful Pakistani Army said difficulty in reaching certain areas, where 800,000 people are accessible only by air, could fuel social unrest.

"If the aid doesn't reach certain areas, then yes, the people will become restive," said Major General Athar Abbas.

The worst floods in decades have made the government more unpopular, heightening concerns about a nation that is already battling Islamist militants.