• FIR lodged against Chanesar Town chairman Farhan Ghani on terrorism, attempted murder charges • This is not a political matter and we will address it through legal means, says elder brother
KARACHI: Chanesar Town chairman Farhan Ghani, younger brother of senior Pakistan Peoples Party leader and local government minister Saeed Ghani, was booked, arrested and remanded in a terrorism and attempted murder case for allegedly assaulting a government employee overseeing fibre optic network laying work on Sharea Faisal.
Police got one-day remand of Farhan from a duty magistrate on Sunday. He will be produced before an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday (today).
In a statement, Saeed Ghani, who is also the president of the PPP Karachi division, said that a dispute occurred on Sharea Faisal within the remit of the Chanesar Town and a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against his brother Farhan and some others. “Soon after, Farhan and his associates voluntarily surrendered themselves to the authorities.
“This is a legal matter, not a political one, and we will address it through legal means,” the elder Ghani said.
Earlier, the Ferozabad police registered a case under Sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 324 (attempted murder), 342 (wrongful confinement), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 379 (theft), 506-B (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Without identifying his department, complainant Hafiz Sohail Jadoon told the police that he is a “government employee” and was supervising fibre optic network laying work on Sharea Faisal on Aug 22.
He stated at around 4:47pm, around 20-25 persons, including Chanesar Town chairman Farhan, in three vehicles arrived there and asked him whether he had permission to dig up Sharea Faisal. He said he told them that he had all permissions but some of them misbehaved with him and asked him to stop the work immediately. The complainant said when he insisted that he had all required no-objection certificates, they started using smear language and beating him.
He said they dragged him at gunpoint to a room of a nearby fuel station where they kept him in illegal confinement and continued beating him. In the meantime, a police team arrived there, rescued him and took him to the police station where he lodged the FIR.
On Sunday, the investigating officer (IO) produced three suspects, including Mr Farhan, before Judicial Magistrate (East) Waseem Abbas and sought their one-day police custody.
The IO informed the court that the suspects had been arrested on terrorism charges and their custody was required to apprehend their remaining accomplices with their help and to check their criminal record.
He further submitted that since the case was registered under terrorism charges and ATCs remained closed on Sunday, he was seeking their one-day custody to produce them before the concerned anti-terrorism court for remand.
After hearing the IO, the duty magistrate granted one-day physical custody of the suspects and directed him to produce them before the administrative judge of the ATCs on Monday (today).
• Lake ‘not a threat’ anymore, official says; locals face shortage of essentials as roads in several districts remain blocked • PM to honour ‘three heroes’ whose timely action saved hundreds of lives; will convene high-level meeting on illegal construction issue this week
GHIZER: Homes are seen submerged in the artificial lake, created after a glacial lake outburst flood blocked River Ghizer in the Roshan area.—Dawn
GILGIT: Thousands of people in several tehsils of Gilgit-Baltistan remained cut off from the rest of the region after an artificial lake formed by a glacial flood in the Raushan area inundated five to ten kilometres of a major route, which connects Ghizer with other districts and Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The road to Astore Valley, Shimshal Road in Hunza, Hisper Road, and K-2 Road in Shigar were also blocked, causing a shortage of essentials in these parts. Due to damage to water supply channels, residents in the flood-affected areas, particularly Danyor, Sultanabad, and Jutial in Gilgit, faced a shortage of potable water.
Due to the artificial lake where water levels had started to recede, thousands of residents in Ghizer, up to Shandur Top and Yasin Valley, remained without road access, as the lake also submerged the Hakas suspension bridge.
A resident Waseem Baigal told Dawn that people in disconnected areas were facing multiple issues, including a looming shortage of fuel, food, and other essentials.
Meraj Ali Shah from Yasin Valley said Gilgit-Chitral Road had been submerged in an artificial lake “for ten kilometres”. At least 200,000 people in Gupis, Phander, and Yasin tehsils had been completely cut off for the third consecutive day, he said, adding that due to damage to power infrastructure, people were also facing electricity outages.
He added that the supply of clean drinking water to the areas affected by the floods was still unavailable.
Officials said that besides the 300 houses damaged by the glacial flood, several houses had been submerged due to the lake. However, the authorities said the water in the lake had reduced to 40 feet and it posed no danger to nearby settlements.
“For now, there is no danger,” said GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq in a statement. The lake had earlier threatened the downstream areas of Ghizer, Gilgit and Diamer.
In a statement, GB Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA) Director General Zakir Hussain said standard operating procedures (SOPs) had been prepared for releasing water from the artificial lake while keeping the local population and infrastructure safe. The “comprehensive” SOPs were prepared by a technical team that visited the site on August 23 in view of the potential hazards posed by the lake.
According to the administration, work on an alternative route for the temporary restoration of Gilgit-Shandur Road in the area was underway and traffic was expected to resume in the next 48 hours.
The National Highway Authority (NHA) has mobilised heavy machinery for the route’s permanent restoration.
Meanwhile, the residents in flood-hit Daen village, Khalti, Ishkoman, Gupis, and other areas also face a shortage of water, medical facilities, and communication difficulties.
PM to honour ‘heroes’
On the other hand, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has invited three heroes from Gilgit Baltistan (GB) who saved about 300 human lives by providing timely information about the glacial flood in Ghizer district.
“Wasiyat Khan, Ansar and Muhammad Khan have been invited to Islamabad upon the prime minister’s directive”, the PM Office’s media wing said. The PM would present special awards to these three men in recognition of their service.
An official in the PM Office told Dawn that the premier would also convene a meeting with provinces on the issue of illegal constructions along rivers and water channels. The meeting, expected to be be held tomorrow or the day after (Tuesday or Wednesday).
Syed Irfan Raza in Islamabad also contributed to this report
KARACHI: Amid increasing instability and uncertainty taking hold across the globe, China has said that it will continue to support Pakistan in safeguarding its territorial integrity and national security.
The affirmation came during Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s recent visit to Pakistan, where he met with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and his counterpart Ishaq Dar, among other leaders.
According to a readout of his meeting with the army chief, issued by China’s foreign ministry following the visit, Wang also praised the country’s military as the ballast of national stability and a staunch defender of China-Pakistan friendship and cooperation.
“The Pakistani military has always supported both sides in earnestly implementing the important common understandings reached by the leaders of the two countries, deepening strategic mutual trust at a higher level, and jointly building an upgraded Version 2.0 of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor,” the statement quoted the foreign minister as saying.
“At present, profound changes unseen in a century are accelerating, with unstable and uncertain factors significantly increasing. Promoting a strong China-Pakistan relationship is conducive to maintaining regional peace and stability,” he said.
“China supports Pakistan in resolutely cracking down on all forms of terrorism and creating a secure and favourable environment for national development and bilateral cooperation,” the readout of his meeting with the PM quoted him as saying.
Wang noted that China had always prioritised Pakistan in its neighbourhood diplomacy, adding that “China will continue to support Pakistan in safeguarding its territorial integrity and national security, and welcomes Pakistan to play a greater role in international affairs”.
According to the Chinese foreign ministry statement, both the army chief and the prime minister vowed to ensure security of Chinese citizens in Pakistan, and appreciated Beijing’s valuable support in the long-term economic and social development of Pakistan.
“The Pakistani military is willing to actively promote counterterrorism and security cooperation between the two countries, and will continue to make every effort to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan,” the army chief was quoted as saying.
Separately, in a briefing earlier this week, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign minister noted that China would work with Pakistan to jointly develop the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), terming their all-weather strategic partnership “unbreakable”.
PESHAWAR: An international conference titled “Jammu and Kashmir in the Current International Political Scenario” was held at the European Club Brussels with the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Faisal Karim Kundi as chief guest.
The conference, organized by the Kashmir Council Europe (KCEU), brought together diplomats, political leaders, intellectuals and activists to deliberate on the longstanding issue of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in his keynote address, emphatically stated that sustainable peace in South Asia remains unattainable until the resolution of the Kashmir dispute and the grant of the right to self-determination to the Kashmiri people, as pledged by the United Nations. He reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to providing continued moral, diplomatic, and political support to the Kashmiri people until they achieve freedom from Indian occupation.
Governor said that during his meetings in Brussels, he has informed senior European officials and important figures about the recent losses caused by climate change in Pakistan.
Rahim Hayat Qureshi, Ambassador of Pakistan to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the European Union, reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast stance on Kashmir. He assured that Pakistan would persist in its diplomatic and moral support for the Kashmiri struggle.
LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif appreciated the theme of World Expo 2025, “Designing future society for our lives,” while meeting Expo Association General Manager Achinoki Manatsu, who briefed her about the Expo.
He said, “Expo 2025 is to showcase tools and methods to save lives, provide better facilities to public and to improve public services.”
Chief Minister noted: “Expo experts are presenting valuable recommendations on solutions to the social problems faced by society.” She briefed about Pakistan’s handicrafts, especially Ajrak and Blue Pottery. She said, “Punjab is rich in natural treasures. We want to present them to the world.” She added Punjab’s skilled craftsmen are rich in transforming them into unique models.
She underscored, “Arrival of 1.2 million visitors to Pakistan’s pavilion is a clear proof of the world’s interest in Pakistani products.”
High officials of Expo Association welcomed Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s interest, and Expo Association General Manager Achinoki Manatsu thanked her for coming to the Expo.
KARACHI: Amid increasing instability and uncertainty taking hold across the globe, China has said that it will continue to support Pakistan in safeguarding its territorial integrity and national security.
The affirmation came during Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s recent visit to Pakistan, where he met with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and his counterpart Ishaq Dar, among other leaders.
According to a readout of his meeting with the army chief, issued by China’s foreign ministry following the visit, Wang also praised the country’s military as the ballast of national stability and a staunch defender of China-Pakistan friendship and cooperation.
“The Pakistani military has always supported both sides in earnestly implementing the important common understandings reached by the leaders of the two countries, deepening strategic mutual trust at a higher level, and jointly building an upgraded Version 2.0 of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor,” the statement quoted the foreign minister as saying.
“At present, profound changes unseen in a century are accelerating, with unstable and uncertain factors significantly increasing. Promoting a strong China-Pakistan relationship is conducive to maintaining regional peace and stability,” he said.
“China supports Pakistan in resolutely cracking down on all forms of terrorism and creating a secure and favorable environment for national development and bilateral cooperation,” the readout of his meeting with the PM quoted him as saying.
Wang noted that China had always prioritised Pakistan in its neighborhood diplomacy, adding that “China will continue to support Pakistan in safeguarding its territorial integrity and national security, and welcomes Pakistan to play a greater role in international affairs”.
According to the Chinese foreign ministry statement, both the army chief and the prime minister vowed to ensure security of Chinese citizens in Pakistan, and appreciated Bejing’s valuable support in the long-term economic and social development of Pakistan.
“The Pakistani military is willing to actively promote counterterrorism and security cooperation between the two countries, and will continue to make every effort to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan,” the army chief was quoted as saying.
Separately, in a briefing earlier this week, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign minister noted that China would work with Pakistan to jointly develop the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), terming their all-weather strategic partnership “ unbreakable”.
Many neighbourhoods in the metropolitan city have been left inundated with stagnant rainwater and sewage five days after the torrential rain hit the city.
The claims of the Sindh government and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) defy the reality in swathes of Karachi division.
Jehangir Road — one of the city’s busiest arteries — has been left battered and broken following the recent spell of monsoon rains, with residents describing its condition as nothing short of ruins.
Stretching from Guru Mandir to Teen Hatti Bridge, the road serves as a vital link between District East and District Central, while also catering to traffic from nearby federal government colonies. Hundreds of vehicles, including buses, rickshaws and private cars, ply the thoroughfare daily, making it one of the city’s lifelines.
Citizens complained that heavy showers have carved out potholes and broken patches along both tracks, disrupting traffic flow and causing long jams, particularly during peak hours.
“The road was resurfaced only a few months ago, but the rains washed away all that effort,” one resident said.
Commuters said the uneven surface is damaging vehicle suspensions and engines, forcing them into frequent, costly repairs.
In a tone of frustration, locals said if the government lacked resources, they were ready to contribute funds themselves. “We are not demanding grand projects — only basic road repairs and proper drainage,” another resident said.
They urged the relevant authorities to immediately carry out drainage, cleaning and repair work on Jehangir Road to restore smooth traffic movement and provide relief to the thousands who depend on it every day.
Johar Underpass
Meanwhile, a portion of the road adjacent to Gulistan-e-Johar underpass subsided and developed cracks, a video of which quickly went viral on social media. Taking immediate notice, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab ordered repair work, which has since begun and is expected to be completed soon.
According to details, the incident occurred on the side of the underpass leading toward Pehlwan Goth. A citizen filmed the damaged section and uploaded it online, prompting swift action from the authorities. The contractor responsible for the underpass construction, accompanied by workers, reached the site and initiated repairs, while officials of the Mega Projects Department were also present.
The contractor clarified that the underpass walls remain intact and there is no structural threat. He explained that only a small portion of the road surface had been affected, which is being excavated with heavy machinery for proper restoration. The repair work is expected to be completed by Monday.
It is noteworthy that the Johar Chowrangi underpass was inaugurated on August 11, 2023.
Residents surrounded by sewage
Residents of Ali Basti in Golimar have been trapped for several days in stagnant sewage and rainwater that has flooded streets and lanes, paralyzing daily life. The foul-smelling, dark water has left the locality in deplorable condition, with no relief in sight.
Locals allege that despite repeated complaints, municipal authorities have failed to take effective action for drainage and cleanup. They warn that the stagnant water is not only spreading unbearable stench but has also become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, raising fears of dengue and other diseases.
Residents say children are unable to attend school, the elderly remain confined to their homes, and local businesses have been forced to shut down. “We reported the issue several times to the Union Council and municipal officials, but apart from verbal assurances, nothing has been done. The entire neighborhood is forced to live amid stench and the constant fear of disease,” said a female resident.
CM cracks the whip
Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed Commissioner Karachi to prioritize drainage efforts in rain-affected areas and inner city roads. During a briefing, Commissioner Hassan Naqvi presented a detailed report on completed and ongoing drainage operations across the city.
According to the CM House spokesperson, the Chief Minister was informed that under the supervision of Deputy Commissioners and with support from district municipal corporations, drainage work is actively underway. All Deputy Commissioners submitted progress reports for their respective districts.
Commissioner Naqvi reported that drainage has been completed in key areas of District South, including MA Jinnah Road, Burns Road, Empress Market, and Urdu Bazaar. In District Korangi, all roads have been cleared, while work continues in low-lying areas of Mehran Colony and Allahwala Town.
In District Malir, over eleven roads including Airport, Gulshan-e-Hadeed, and Steel Town have been cleared. Drainage is ongoing in areas near Safora and Ibrahim Hyderi. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority is assisting with pumps to expedite work on inner roads.
Drainage has also been completed in District East, West, and Central, including North Nazimabad, Gulberg, and Liaquatabad.
Senior Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) leader and Member National Assembly, Syed Aminul Haque, noted that the people of Karachi are facing an acute water crisis, with areas including Orangi Town, Surjani Town, Baldia Town, and major parts of the city such as Keamari, Korangi, Landhi, North Karachi, Malir, and Shah Faisal Colony desperate for every drop of water.
The leader deemed the 100 MGD water supply project from Hub Canal to have failed in delivering water to citizens, despite its inauguration, as it was marred by corruption. Further, he argued that the incompetence of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and the government, has created new records of mismanagement in the city, with Karachi continuing to be neglected.
Haque noted that even after the rains, streets in District West remain flooded with sewage, stating that citizens pay taxes but, instead of clean water, drainage and sanitation, they are left with garbage, sewage water, and false promises. He argued that rain causes large parts of Karachi to drown because drainage projects exist only on paper.
The MNA stated that Karachiites need practical solutions, not speeches or hollow claims, in which regard he also called out Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) for remaining confined to slogans and failing to take any practical steps towards the realisation of its promises.
Bangladesh’s foreign adviser on Sunday raised “unsettled” issues, including an apology for the 1971 war with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar but said he was not on the same page with the senior most leader Islamabad sent to Dhaka since 2012.
Dar, who arrived here on Saturday on a two-day visit aimed at rebuilding ties with Bangladesh following the ouster of longtime prime minister Sheikh Hasina last year, held talks with the interim government’s Foreign Adviser M Touhid Hossain.
“Definitely I don’t agree (with Dar). Had it been so, the problems would have been solved. We explained our position and they (Pakistani side) did theirs,” mass circulation Prothom Alo quoted Hossain as saying. He said the two countries will continue to talk on the matter in the coming days.
He was addressing the media after the talks between two top bureaucrats of the two countries, who were once bitter enemies.
The foreign adviser said during the talks Dhaka sought the settlement of pre-independence financial issues, repatriation of stranded Pakistanis and “seek them to express regret, the apology for the genocide that took place here (in Bangladesh in 1971).”
“I have strongly upheld the Bangladesh stance,” said Hossain. When asked if he agreed with Dar’s comments that the 1971 issues were “resolved twice,” he said, “It would be wrong to expect problems of 54 years to be solved in a single day.”
Talking to journalists, Dar — also Pakistan’s deputy prime minister — said the unsettled issues over 1971 were resolved twice, first in 1974 in tri-partite talks involving New Delhi in India.
“Later, the then president Pervez Musharraf settled the issues of genocide again during his Dhaka visit when he talked in public with an open mind,” Dar added.
But, he said, the scope and possibility of “doing good for the two peoples of our two countries is tremendous.”
This is not the first time that Dhaka raised the pending 1971 issues with Pakistan.
In April, in the first foreign secretary-level talks in 15 years, Bangladesh asked Pakistan to resolve unsettled historical issues and settle pre-independence asset sharing. Dhaka also demanded a formal apology for the genocide of the 1971 Liberation War.
Pakistani troops were accused of genocide and widespread atrocities during the 1971 war when millions were killed.
The visits came amid a visible shift in regional politics in the past year, involving Bangladesh, Pakistan and India since the ouster of Hasina’s Awami League regime in a violent student-led street protest on August 5, 2024 and the installation of Muhammad Yunus’ interim government.
Hossain said one agreement and five memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were signed between the two countries. Both countries have agreed to move bilateral relations forward, while historical issues must be resolved through discussion.
Bangladesh-Pakistan ties were at their lowest ebb during Hasina’s Awami League regime, particularly when it initiated in 2010 the trial of collaborators of Pakistani troops during the 1971 Liberation War.
A violent student-led street movement toppled Hasina’s government on August 5, 2024, with Yunus taking over as the chief adviser of the interim government three days after she left Bangladesh for India.
The development paved the way for revitalising ties with Islamabad in the past year when relations between Dhaka and New Delhi turned icy, while India was previously seen as Bangladesh’s closest strategic and economic partner under Hasina’s rule.
Hina Rabbani Khar was the last Pakistani foreign minister to visit Dhaka in November 2012 to invite Hasina to a summit in Islamabad.
On Sunday, at a foreign minister-level meeting, Bangladesh and Pakistan reiterated their pledges to further strengthen the existing multidimensional and historical bilateral relations based on mutual respect, understanding and cooperation, state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) said.
During the meeting, the two sides stressed strengthening trade relations and expanding investment, as yearly turnover between the countries is below USD 1 billion, Hossain told the press conference.
The foreign adviser said Bangladesh sought access to Pakistani markets under the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) in the textiles, energy, medicine industry, agriculture, fisheries, livestock and information technology sectors, while Pakistan talked about exporting energy to Bangladesh, the BSS quoted Hossain as saying.
On Saturday, Dar held back-to-back talks with leaders of various political parties of Bangladesh to boost bilateral ties.
Dar met with the leaders of former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the country’s largest Islamist party, the Jamaat-e-Islami, at the Pakistan Embassy in Dhaka. He also met with the leaders of the student-led National Citizen Party (NCP).
Abdullah Muhammad Taher, leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, which was opposed to Bangladesh’s 1971 independence from Pakistan, and Akhtar Hossain, a senior NCP leader, both said they wanted Pakistan to address the pending 1971 issues for enhancement of bilateral ties.
Arif Khan was one of many helping in rescue efforts
As villagers carried out the bodies of two children, soaked in mud, the large crowd looked impassive.
They had gathered in a small village in the Swabi district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after a flash flood washed away several houses, trapping dozens underneath the rubble.
Some of them watched on as the dead children were taken away, others continued their conversations, and the rest – along with a few rescue personnel and soldiers – kept searching for survivors with their tools and bare hands.
There were no tears, there was no panic. But there was anger.
For many villagers it was the fact that the floods came with no warning.
“Why didn’t the government warn us sooner?” was the overwhelming sentiment.
But there was also rage at a perceived lack of support from local officials.
“We need the right equipment to carry out this rescue,” Arif Khan, who was helping dig out the bodies, told us.
“There were about 15 houses here, we need an excavator.”
Although emergency teams and the military were there to help, the equipment Arif had been begging for was trapped a few hundred metres away, unable to get through a flooded road.
“The ambulances, medicines and excavators are very much on the way,” Nisar Ahmad, the commissioner for the Mardan District, told us. But they were still not able to reach the village due to the scale of the flooding. Throughout the day, the villagers continued removing the debris, as well as the bodies.
Scenes like this are not new in Pakistan. Since June alone, monsoon rains have killed about 800 people across the country.
In 2022, monsoon rains killed about 1,700 people, which cost Pakistan $14.9bn (£11.1bn) in damages and $16.3bn in recovery and reconstruction needs, according to the World Bank.
And in June this year alone, monsoon rains have killed at least 750 people across the country.
So if history is repeating itself, why can’t Pakistan better protect itself from the onslaught of floods?
Rescuers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa clawed through rubble by hand to find survivors
Paying a big price for ‘international sins’
Pakistan’s geography makes it extremely vulnerable to climate change – with the country having to contend with not just heavy monsoon rains, but extreme temperatures and drought. Its melting glaciers have also created new lakes at risk of glacial outbursts.
These trends are getting worse because of climate change, according to Dr Syed Faisal Saeed, chief meteorologist at the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).
“Monsoon rains are likely to increase in the coming decades, so this issue is not a one year fix,” he says.
Yet, this is a bitter pill to swallow for many, given Pakistan contributes less than 1% of the global greenhouse gas emissions.
There is a feeling that it is paying a big price for “international sins”, says Dr Amjad Ali Khan, a member of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s National Assembly, who advises the chief minister on climate issues. His province is where most deaths have been recorded during this year’s monsoons.
This is a sentiment shared across the political spectrum. The former federal climate minister, Senator Sherry Rehman, recently argued “when lives are lost in the Global South, when rivers burst their banks, and when livelihoods vanish, there is no real money for climate-vulnerable countries like Pakistan”.
Some argue the country wrestles with how to spend its own money.
Climate resiliency will likely always contend with other priorities – such as defence – as this year’s federal budget has shown.
Amid an overall reduction in spending, the budget for the Ministry of Climate Change was slashed to about $9.7m (£7.6m). Defence spending was hiked up to about $9bn (£6.93bn).
Ms Rehman slammed the cuts, and argued they send the wrong message. When the budget was announced, she asked: “If we are not seen investing in our own resilience, why would others support us?”
Some of the worst episodes of flooding happened in rural, mountainous regions
The Ministry of Climate Change’s budget doesn’t reflect climate funding in Pakistan, argues Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, an expert in climate risk management.
Under its agreement with the IMF, the federal government also earmarked more than $2bn more in climate-related spending. Yet, Mr Sheikh says it includes some existing projects, such as dams and hydropower.
He says the budget aside, there are more than 1,000 unfinished development projects across sectors.
With no short-term fix to the impacts of climate change, early warning of these extreme weather events is a priority for the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).
Extreme weather events such as cloudbursts are hard to predict in advance. They’re caused by a sudden updraft in humid, moist air, which leads to a heavy and localised burst of rain. These have wrecked villages in recent days.
But Dr Saeed has said while these can’t be predicted days in advance, the general conditions that can lead to a cloudburst can be identified.
“When the PMD warns of heavy rainfall, all the districts should start preparing,” says Dr Saeed, though he does acknowledge that the PMD needs to improve its system.
“I’m not saying it’s perfect.”
As part of an initiative with the World Bank, the PMD is procuring new radars and automatic weather stations, as well as working to improve its short-term modelling.
A bigger challenge is getting the word out. Some of the worst episodes this summer happened in rural, mountainous regions, where network connectivity is very poor. A weather app or social media accounts won’t do these communities much good.
PMD is trialling new methods to get around this, alongside the United Nations Development Programme.
From the capital Islamabad, the PMD can trigger sirens installed in glacial valleys in northern Pakistan that are vulnerable to extreme flooding from glacial lake outbursts. But officials acknowledge this is not a silver bullet, as the damage this year has shown.
Laws that go ignored
Part of the reason is that the most vulnerable communities live by riverbeds. While several laws such as the “River Protection Act” – which prohibits construction within 200 ft (61m) of a river or its tributaries – have been passed, people not only haven’t moved, they’ve also continued building in these areas.
“You would be erasing villages,” says Dr Khan, adding that people have been living along these rivers for decades and the law is impossible to implement.
Dr Khan argues lawmakers did not consider the culture of these communities which revolve around tribal elders, and that jirgas – tribal councils – should have been consulted to convince people to move.
He also argues it’s “next to impossible” if alternative housing and shelters aren’t funded and built for these communities.
Building laws are violated in urban areas as well. Pakistan’s commercial capital Karachi was recently paralysed by flooding, with officials forced to declare a public holiday to deal with the aftermath.
So far, about 30% of deaths from this year’s monsoon season are from houses collapsing, according to the country’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
“Nobody follows the laws. Every street is becoming congested,” Dr Yasmeen Lari, an expert in climate-resilient architecture, said.
Karachi is also a victim of its poor drainage system.
Though the city has hundreds of them, they have either narrowed or been blocked by illegal construction.
The housing minister of Sindh province, of which Karachi is the capital, says finding space to create new ones has been a challenge, and when they’ve tried to remove shops or buildings that cover them, their attempts have been blocked in court.
Saeed Ghani added that a new, more punitive law was in consultation to close legal loopholes, as well as hold officers of the Sindh Building Control Authority liable, should they approve construction that violates regulations.
Pakistan’s geography makes it extremely vulnerable to climate change
Natural disasters amid political upheaval
If this reveals the cost of fragmented governance, there have been efforts at the federal level to try to secure more help from the international community.
Pakistan’s struggling economy has relied on several international bailouts. Successive governments have made it a priority to seek international support for its climate programmes.
They have secured funding from the World Bank and the United Nations, in addition to loans from the International Monetary Fund over the years.
A landmark moment was at the COP27 climate summit. The 2022 floods were fresh in the minds of the attendees, and the devastation had affected 33 million people. Pakistan and others pushed to establish the Loss and Damage Fund to help countries hit by climate disasters.
Domestically, there have been afforestation plans to restore natural flood barriers. In 2023, the government launched a “National Adaptation Plan” aiming to create a nationwide roadmap.
But it remains to be seen how this will all develop in practice, in a country which has seen so much political upheaval and changes in government.
At the end of most conversations, whether with officials, climate experts, or the frontline victims of these extreme weather events, there is a certain hopelessness. “Poverty is the worst thing,” Dr Lari says.
Without enough money, whether from the international community, the federal government or provincial budget, it is hard to execute the solutions they’ve all preached.
A better early warning system, new homes on safer land, climate-resilient infrastructure – all these take funding and any progress so far hasn’t prevented the hundreds of people killed this year.
“Everything is top-down,” Dr Lari explains. She says there has been too much reliance on governments, without enough results. If Pakistan does not have the means to fund these solutions, she argues, it should focus on educating the population and creating a “poverty escape ladder” at the grassroots level.
She points to her work in thousands of villages, sharing knowledge of climate-resilient homes, food security and tree planting.
In the meantime, this year’s monsoon season is not over – and neither is the sense of loss and grief.
Back in the village in Swabi district, a funeral was taking place for those found, only a few metres away from a rescue operation.
Prayers were chanted in unison, as the country prepared for warnings of more heavy rains, and more danger they are struggling to protect against.
