Authorities say forecasters cannot rule out a repeat of extreme weather like the devastating floods of 2022.
Nearly a week of heavy monsoon rains and flash floods across Pakistan have killed at least 46 people and injured dozens, officials say.
The government announced the death toll on Monday and said the fatalities were caused by several days of abnormally strong downpours.
They included 22 people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwest Pakistan, 13 in the eastern province of Punjab, seven in Sindh in the south and four in Balochistan in the southwest, the National Disaster Management Authority and provincial emergency officials said.
“We are expecting above-normal rains during the monsoon season, and alerts have been issued to the concerned authorities to take precautionary measures,” Irfan Virk, a deputy director of Pakistan’s Meteorological Department, told The Associated Press news agency.
Virk said forecasters cannot rule out a repeat of extreme weather like the devastating floods in 2022.
Residents observe the overflowing Swat River on the outskirts of Mingora, the main town of Pakistan’s Swat Valley [Sherin Zada/AP Photo]
Severe rains then inundated a third of the country, killing 1,737 people and causing widespread destruction.
The deaths from the past week include 13 tourists from a family of 17 who were swept away on Friday. The other four family members were rescued from the flooded Swat River in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Rescuers found 12 bodies from the family, and divers continued searching on Monday for the remaining victim, said Bilal Faizi, a provincial emergency service spokesman.
The incident drew widespread condemnation online over what many called a slow response by emergency services.
On Sunday, the National Disaster Management Authority had warned of potential hazards and advised people against crossing rivers and streams.
People attend funeral prayers for people swept away by the Swat River in Daska, Pakistan [SA Rizvi/AP Photo]
Karachi faced severe traffic jams on Monday after police used tear gas and water cannons to stop protesting government employees. The protesters, part of the Sindh Employees’ Alliance (SEA), were marching towards the Chief Minister’s House to demand better salaries and pensions. Police intervened when talks between the protest leaders and government officials failed to reach an agreement.
DIG South Syed Asad Raza said the protesters wanted a 70% pay and pension raise for grades 1 to 22 employees. They also demanded a 50% Disparity Reduction Allowance and post-retirement benefits similar to those in Balochistan. After talks collapsed, the protesters began moving from the Karachi Press Club towards the CM House, where police had already blocked roads.
To stop them, law enforcement used water cannons and fired tear gas near Aiwan-e-Saddar Road, close to the Governor House. Protesters were pushed back and redirected to the Karachi Press Club. Police confirmed that no arrests were made, but protest leaders claimed officers used force and “tortured” some demonstrators.
SEA leaders said that Planning and Development Minister Nasir Shah had accepted their demands. However, CM Murad Ali Shah asked for three days to finalize discussions. The protest leaders are now planning their next move, possibly marching to Bilawal House in Clifton if their demands remain unmet.
The protest caused chaos on Karachi’s roads. Major roads like Aiwan-i-Saddar, Dr Ziauddin Ahmad, and Din Muhammad Wafai were closed. As a result, traffic from 4pm to 7pm was badly affected, especially on I.I. Chundrigar, Abdullah Haroon, and Saddar. Police diverted vehicles to alternative routes to manage the congestion.
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Vienna, Ambassador Kamran Akhtar, has been elected president of the 53rd session of the United Nations Industrial Development Board (UNIDO). This marks the first time Pakistan has been awarded this prestigious position.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar expressed pride in Pakistan’s achievement on X. “Pakistan continues to make significant contributions to the UN system and remains deeply committed to an international order based on the UN Charter & international law,” he said.
Pleased to share that Ambassador Kamran Akhtar, Pakistan’s PR to the UN in Vienna, has been elected President of the 53rd session of the UNIDO Industrial Development Board.
This is a proud moment for Pakistan and a recognition of our leadership in multilateral diplomacy.…
The election reflects the trust placed in Pakistan by UNIDO Member States, reaffirming the country’s active diplomatic role within Vienna-based international organisations.
Pakistan’s commitment to industrial development, particularly in developing countries, Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), has been central to its profile at UNIDO.
Ambassador Akhtar expressed gratitude to UNIDO Member States for their trust and outlined his commitment to further enhancing the organisation’s role in promoting industrial development globally. He highlighted Pakistan’s focus on sustainable, inclusive growth, particularly in vulnerable nations.
The Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, Ambassador Kamran Akhtar, has been elected as President of the 53rd session of the Industrial Development Board. This is the first time Pakistan has been honoured with this prestigious position (1/2) pic.twitter.com/tkw684Db3k
— Pakistan Embassy Austria (@PakinAustria) June 30, 2025
The director general of UNIDO congratulated Ambassador Akhtar, praising Pakistan’s ongoing contribution to the organisation’s core mission.
Pakistan has one of the largest portfolios with UNIDO, with over 350 million Euros invested in ongoing and planned projects across various sectors, including textiles, leather, fisheries, food safety, climate action, and renewable energy.
Key initiatives such as PAIDAR and PAFAID have been instrumental in poverty alleviation, job creation, and the sustainable development of rural communities in Pakistan.
This year, Pakistan is set to launch a new cycle of its Country Partnership Programme with UNIDO, alongside several new projects across diverse sectors aimed at fostering industrial development and economic growth.
LAHORE: While conflict raged between the powerful militaries of India and Pakistan, a battle was also fought on the cultural front lines despite years of shared love for films and music.
The deadly fighting in early May — the worst in decades — affected artists previously untouched by animosity between their leaders.
Ali Gul Pir, a Pakistani rapper and comedian with a huge Indian following, released a song years ago mocking Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
While he was spared consequences then, in May, his YouTube channel and Instagram profile were blocked in India.
“Indians now recognize that the digital space serves as a bridge between Pakistanis and Indians, and they seem intent on severing that connection,” Pir told AFP.
In this photograph taken on June 17, 2025, a man looks at a film poster, Love Guru, featuring Pakistani actress Mahira Khan, outside a cineplex in Lahore. (AFP)
The collapse in bilateral relations was caused by a deadly April attack on tourists in India-administered Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on Islamabad.
Pakistan denied the allegation and, after tit-for-tat diplomatic retaliation, their militaries fought for four days before a ceasefire was reached.
The conflict hit the music industry for the first time, with Pakistani singer Annural Khalid also remembering how her Indian following dropped off.
“Delhi was my top listening city before the ban,” said Khalid, who has 3.1 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
“I suffered a great loss in the audience” from India, she told AFP.
“Listeners were deprived of content because music was turned into something it is not,” Khalid added.
In this photograph taken on May 29, 2025, Pakistan’s pop singer Annural Khalid sings inside her studio in Lahore. While conflict raged between the powerful militaries of India and Pakistan, a battle was also fought on the cultural front lines despite years of shared love for films and music. (AFP)
The conflict also scrubbed out some prior exchanges, such as the soundtrack of the 2017 film “Raees” on Spotify in India.
It now shows only Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan, without his Pakistani co-star Mahira Khan.
With Pakistan producing just a handful of movies each year under strict censorship rules, Bollywood has always proven popular among viewers.
“I grew up watching Bollywood. We have the same traumas, we have the same history, we have the same stories,” said Pakistani film critic Sajeer Shaikh.
In this photograph taken on May 23, 2025, Sajeer Shaikh, a Pakistani film critic and content creator, speaks with AFP during an interview in Karachi. (AFP)
Pakistani actors and directors have for decades seen making it to Bollywood as the ultimate recognition.
Indian Bollywood film actresses Sonam Kapoor (C) and Kirron Kher (L), and Pakistani actor Fawad Afzal Khan (2L) watch the daily retreat ceremony performed by Pakistani Rangers and Indian Border Security Force (BSF) personnel at India-Pakistan Border Wagah Post on September 17, 2014. (AFP/File)
But this month, Indian star Diljit Dosanjh announced his latest movie, “Sardaar Ji 3,” which features four Pakistani actors, would be released “overseas only,” after New Delhi banned Pakistani content and artists from productions.
“Abir Gulaal,” a love story starring Pakistan’s Fawad Khan and Indian actor Vaani Kapoor, was scheduled to hit Indian cinemas on May 9 but the release was postponed.
Even some in the industry who had previously backed the cross-border artistic trade changed their tune last month.
“Everything should be banned… cricket, films, everything,” said Indian actor Suniel Shetty, who has a big fan following in Pakistan.
In this photograph taken on June 17, 2025, a young boy walks past a film poster, Love Guru, featuring Pakistani actress Mahira Khan, inside a cineplex in Lahore. (AFP)
He starred in the 2004 movie “Main Hoon Na,” which subtly promotes peace between India and Pakistan.
“It’s something really unfortunate about politics, creating that rift and putting boundaries around art,” said Dua Zahra, assistant manager at Warner Bros South Asia’s music label in Pakistan.
As part of its measures in the wake of the Kashmir attack, New Delhi’s ban on some Pakistani YouTube channels included private broadcaster HUM TV.
The channel, which says around 40 percent of its viewers are from India, simply told its fans to use a VPN to continue watching.
Since Modi took office more than a decade ago, many Indian critics and filmmakers have warned that Bollywood is now increasingly promoting his government’s Hindu nationalist ideology.
While the conflict has created divisions on the cultural scene, there are signs that the trade will endure.
Over a month after the ceasefire, three Indian films were in the top 10 on Netflix Pakistan, while the top 20 trending songs in India included two Pakistani tracks.
Pir, the rapper and comedian, vowed to “bridge gaps.”
“Let’s not make war, let’s just make art,” he said.
Tensions rise in Karachi as govt employees clash with police
Salaries and pensions protest turns violent; over 20 arrested as demonstrators march toward Red Zone
KARACHI (Dunya News) – A protest by the Sindh Employees Grand Alliance demanding salary and pension increases escalated into a violent clash with police on Monday as demonstrators attempted to march toward Karachi’s Red Zone following failed negotiations with the provincial government.
The standoff began outside the Karachi Press Club, where government employees rallied in large numbers. As protesters moved toward the restricted Red Zone, police used batons, tear gas, and water cannons to disperse them. In response, angry protesters reportedly pelted stones at law enforcement, further intensifying the chaos.
Chanting slogans against the provincial authorities, protesters broke through barricades and staged a sit-in near the Red Zone, prompting another round of tear gas shelling. This affected bystanders, several of whom experienced breathing issues. A female police officer also collapsed and was shifted to a hospital for treatment.
To contain the movement, police erected roadblocks on major arteries including I.I. Chundrigar Road, resulting in severe traffic congestion across surrounding areas. Earlier, access routes to the Press Club were sealed off, disrupting the movement of journalists and commuters alike.
In a crackdown that followed, over 20 protesters were detained and transferred to local police stations.
DIG South stated that blocking roads will not be tolerated and that law and order must prevail.
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Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has backed terror groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir, saying that what India describes as terrorism is a “legitimate struggle” and that Pakistan will continue providing political, diplomatic, and moral support to the Kashmiri people.
Munir made the remarks while addressing a passing out parade at the Pakistan Naval Academy on Saturday, when he also said that India has “twice undertaken acts of unprovoked aggression against Pakistan” and the onus of any future escalation “will squarely lie with the aggressor”.
The speech was reminiscent of Munir’s remarks at an Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad on April 16, less than a week before the Pahalgam terror attack, when he described Kashmir as the “jugular vein” of Pakistan and said Islamabad will continue backing the struggle against “Indian occupation”.
There was no immediate response from Indian officials to Munir’s latest remarks. Munir’s previous remarks on Kashmir have been rubbished by the external affairs ministry.
“What India tends to term as terrorism is in fact the legitimate struggle as per the international conventions. Those who endeavoured to subdue the will of Kashmiri people and sought conflict elimination instead of resolution have made it more relevant and pronounced through their own actions,” Munir said while addressing the gathering in Karachi that included top military officers, civilian officials, and diplomats.
“We stand firm with the Kashmiri people for their right of self-determination for the resolution of the internationally recognised long-standing dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the people of Kashmir,” he added.
Munir contended that “regional peace will forever remain elusive” and there would be “perpetual danger of conflict in South Asia” without the “just and peaceful resolution” of the Kashmir issue.
Paying tribute to those who are struggling for “the right of self-determination”, Munir said: “Pakistan will always continue to provide political, diplomatic and moral support to the valiant people of…Jammu and Kashmir.”
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 to target terrorist infrastructure in territories controlled by Pakistan in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. This triggered four days of intense clashes, with both sides using drones, missiles, and long-range weapons, before they reached an understanding to halt military actions on May 10.
Munir claimed India’s leadership had “twice undertaken acts of unprovoked aggression against Pakistan” in recent years, under the “pretext of counter terrorism”. He was referring to the clashes in May and the cross-border air strike carried out by India in response to the Pulwama suicide bombing in 2019 that killed 40 Indian troopers. At that time, both sides had briefly engaged in aerial battles and skirmishes.
“Pakistan, despite grave provocations, acted with restraint and maturity and demonstrated its commitment to regional peace and stability, which has led to Pakistan’s role as net regional stabiliser,” Munir said. “However, the assumption that Pakistan would have any constraints in the face of any future violation of its sovereignty reflects a dangerous misreading of strategic fundamentals…any enemy acting on perceived vulnerability of Pakistan under the illusion of strategic impunity or miscalculation would get an assured, swift and a very befitting response.”
In the wake of the Pakistan-sponsored terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India intensified its strategic response, not only diplomatically and militarily but also hydrologically — by suspending the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) which governs sharing of water flowing to Pakistan from the Indus river system. Pakistan, which depends largely on water flowing from India for its agricultural production, has warned that India blocking the water flowing to Pakistan will be considered an act of war. However, undeterred by Pakistan’s threats, India is preparing another water shock for Pakistan.
The Indian government is set to revive the long-stalled Tulbul Navigation Project in Jammu & Kashmir, PTI has reported based on information from sources. A detailed project report (DPR) for the Tulbul project is being prepared and is expected to take about a year to complete. This move, which comes amid the suspension of the IWT, underscores a significant policy shift: leveraging water resources as a means of strategic assertion.
Also Read | Pakistan will be starved of water and India will never restore Indus water treaty, says Amit ShahWhat is the Tulbul Navigation Project? The Tulbul Navigation Project (TNP) is a controlled storage facility on the Jhelum River near Sopore in the Kashmir Valley. Originally conceived in 1984, the project aimed to construct a 439-foot long and 40-foot wide navigation lock-cum-control structure at the mouth of the Wular Lake, one of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia.
The purpose of the project was to ensure navigability of the Jhelum River during lean seasons by regulating outflows from the Wular Lake. By storing around 300,000 acre-feet of water, the project was designed to maintain a minimum draught of 4.5 feet, enabling barge traffic between Baramulla and Srinagar. This would not only facilitate inland water transport, but also improve irrigation and generate potential for hydropower optimization downstream.
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The Central government had started work on this project in 1984, but stopped it a year later following Pakistan’s strong objections. Pakistan in 1986 took the issue to the Indus Waters Commission, following which the project was abandoned in 1987.The work was restarted in 2010, with the then irrigation minister of J&K, Taj Mohideen, stating that Article 9 of IWT permitted such projects meant for non-consumptive use. In 2012, unidentified terrorists lobbed a grenade towards a bund raised by the workers for the project. In 2016, Taj claimed that the Omar-led NC-Congress (2008-2014) govt had completed almost 80 per cent of the project after redesigning it with a total estimated cost of Rs 50 crore, in contrast to the original project designed in 1980s at Rs 500 crore. He accused the PDP-BJP (2015-2018) govt of abandoning the project. Taj argued that water storage in the Wullar barrage would significantly benefit the downstream power projects by sustaining electricity generation during the winter months, when they see a sharp decline in output. Also Read | India slams Pakistan’s ‘charade’ on Kishenganga, Ratle dams; trashes ‘illegal’ Court of Arbitration’s new ruling How Tulbul project can benefit India, and why Pakistan opposes it Under the IWT, India was allocated the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas and Sutlej), while the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum and Chenab) were allocated to Pakistan, with limited rights for India. India is allowed to use water from the western rivers for non-consumptive purposes like navigation, power generation and limited storage. The Tulbul Project aligns with these permissible uses. By regulating flows, India can maximize its share of water under the treaty, avoiding wastage of its rights while improving water availability during lean periods.
In the context of cross-border terrorism and Pakistan’s continued hostility, the project serves as a pressure point. Water, historically viewed as a cooperative resource, is now being reconsidered as a tool of strategic diplomacy. The resumption of Tulbul sends a strong signal that India will no longer remain passive while its treaty rights are undermined or while Pakistan continues to support non-state actors across the border.
The Jhelum river route was historically a vital trade artery. Reviving this navigation route will boost local commerce, create jobs and improve connectivity in the Kashmir Valley. Given the government’s broader push for inland waterways, this project fits into a national strategy of reducing dependence on road transport and improving logistics efficiency. Though Tulbul itself is not a hydropower project, its ability to regulate water flow can support downstream hydropower generation at projects like Uri-I and Uri-II. It can help stabilize water flow, enhance efficiency and reduce flood damage risks in the valley.
Pakistan has consistently objected to the Tulbul Navigation Project since its inception, and construction was halted in 1987 due to Islamabad’s protests. The core of Pakistan’s opposition lies in the perceived violation of the IWT provisions. Pakistan argues that the storage capacity of 300,000 acre-feet gives India the ability to manipulate water flows during critical periods, especially during the sowing season in Pakistan’s Punjab province. While India views the project as permissible under the IWT (which allows non-consumptive use including navigation), Pakistan sees it as an attempt to store water in violation of the treaty’s constraints on India’s use of the western rivers.
India’s revival of the Tulbul Project can be seen in light of a broader reassessment of the IWT, which has long been criticized within India for being overly generous. In suspending the treaty after the Pahalgam attack, India is signaling a willingness to challenge long-standing conventions that no longer serve its security or developmental interests. This policy shift is also likely influenced by China’s assertive use of water in the Brahmaputra basin. India now seems to be shedding its past restraint and adopting a more realist doctrine on transboundary rivers.
However, this move also raises the stakes in the ongoing India-Pakistan tensions. Pakistan has already warned that any attempt to block or manipulate water flows would be considered an “act of war”. The Kashmir politics over Tulbul The Tulbul project has been a contentious issue in J&K. After suspension of the IWT, local politics is simmering over the Tulbul project. In May, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and former CM Mehbooba Mufti engaged in a war of words over reinstating the Tulbul Navigation Project. The argument started after Abdullah suggested a possible resumption of construction at the Tulbul Navigation Barrage on Wullar Lake, considering the suspension of the IWT. “The Wular lake in North Kashmir. The civil works you see in the video is the Tulbul Navigation Barrage. It was started in the early 1980s but had to be abandoned under pressure from Pakistan citing the Indus Water Treaty. Now that the IWT has been ‘temporarily suspended’ I wonder if we will be able to resume the project,” Abdullah posted on his personal X handle.
Taking to X, Mufti replied to Abdullah’s post: “At a time when both nations have just stepped back from the brink of war—with Jammu and Kashmir once again paying the highest price through loss of innocent lives, destruction, and suffering—such provocative statements are deeply irresponsible.” She stressed that J&K residents need tranquillity and constancy, rather than political actions that could heighten tensions. “Weaponizing water—a source of life—is not only inhumane, but it also threatens to internationalize an issue that must remain strictly bilateral,” she noted.
Replying to Mufti’s remarks, Abdullah wrote, “Actually what is unfortunate is that with your blind lust to try to score cheap publicity points & please some people sitting across the border, you refuse to acknowledge that the IWT has been one of the biggest historic betrayals of the interests of the people of J&K. I have always opposed this treaty & I will continue to do so. Opposing a blatantly unfair treaty is in no way, shape, size or form warmongering, it’s about correcting a historic injustice that denied the people of J&K the right to use our water for ourselves.”
