ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: Pakistan received emergency supplies from the United States on Saturday as devastating floods battered Punjab, with three major rivers flowing from India surging at multiple points and forecasters warning of fresh torrential rains until Sept. 9.
Home to half of Pakistan’s 240 million people and much of its wheat and rice production, Punjab has been hit hardest by this year’s monsoon as nearly 50 people have died in the current Ravi-Sutlej-Chenab flood spell that started late last month, bringing the seasonal death toll in the province to 231 since June.
Nationwide, the National Disaster Management Authority said 905 people have been killed in rain and flood-related incidents since the monsoon began on June 26.
The government has primarily focused on evacuating people from settlements along the three rivers and breached protective embankments to save major cities, with the army doing rescue and relief work in most areas of the province. However, the Punjab administration announced a satellite-aided survey a day earlier to quantify flood losses before launching a compensation and rehabilitation program for families whose homes and farmland have been destroyed.
“US military aircraft delivered essential supplies at the request of the Pakistan military in response to the devastating floods,” the American embassy in Islamabad said in a social media post, adding that its Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker extended condolences to the people of Pakistan, whose lives have been uprooted by the widespread, catastrophic flooding.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday presided over a review meeting in Islamabad, directing the climate change ministry to present within two weeks a comprehensive plan to shield Pakistan from the adverse effects of monsoon rains and floods and to minimize future losses.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) of Punjab has warned the 10th monsoon spell would bring widespread heavy rains to the province starting today.
The top PDMA official, Irfan Ali Kathia, said in a statement urban flooding was expected to hit major cities.
He also said that commissioners and deputy commissioners across the province had been ordered to stay on alert, with the health, irrigation, public works, local government and livestock departments all instructed to prepare emergency responses.
RIVERS RISING
At 9 a.m. on Saturday, the Flood Forecasting Division reported a continued surge in river flows, with the Chenab carrying 380,193 cusecs at Chiniot and 412,992 cusecs at Trimmu Headworks near Jhang, both classified as high flood.
Further downstream, Panjnad in southern Punjab recorded 321,721 cusecs.
On the Ravi, flows reached 157,395 cusecs at Balloki Headworks south of Lahore and 101,225 cusecs at Sidhnai in Khanewal, both rated very high.
The Sutlej, swollen by upstream releases from India, was running at 311,673 cusecs at Ganda Singh Wala near Kasur, an extremely high level, and 132,916 cusecs at Sulemanki, further downstream.
Authorities in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province said a high flood wave was expected as water level at Panjnad was expected to increase by the end of the day before moving downstream into the Indus.
According to a situation report released Friday by the Sindh administration’s flood monitoring cell, 1,651 villages are likely to be affected and more than 1.6 million people face risk, with 121,769 already displaced.
The province has set up 528 relief camps and established 155 medical camps, where more than 33,000 patients have been treated. Over 360,000 livestock have been evacuated.
Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon said evacuations were underway in low-lying areas a day earlier, while Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah instructed officials this week to take proactive steps to protect people and livestock, saying no life should be lost in the floods this year.
A doctor tends to Rad Bibi, an injured Afghan woman who claims to be 110-years-old, outside her damaged house following a deadly earthquake that struck Afghanistan’s Kunar and Nangarhar provinces, in Nurgal district, Kunar province, Afghanistan, September 4, 2025. — Reuters
Nearly a week after an earthquake killed more than 2,200 people in Afghanistan and left tens of thousands homeless, the United States has not taken the first step to authorise emergency aid, and it was unclear if it plans to help at all, two former senior US officials and a source familiar with the situation told Reuters.
The lack of response by Washington to one of Afghanistan’s deadliest quakes in years underscores how President Donald Trump has forfeited decades of US leadership of global disaster relief with his deep foreign aid cuts and closure of the main US foreign assistance agency, said the source and the former officials.
The US Agency for International Development was officially shuttered on Tuesday.
The State Department on Monday extended its “heartfelt condolences” to Afghanistan in an X post.
As of Friday, however, the State Department had not approved a declaration of humanitarian need, the first step in authorising US emergency relief, said the former officials, both of whom worked at USAID, and the third source, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.
Such a declaration is usually issued within 24 hours of a major disaster.
The sources said State Department officials had considered recommendations for US disaster aid for Afghanistan. One former senior official said the White House also has considered the issue, but decided against reversing a policy of ending aid to Afghanistan.
When asked if the US would provide any emergency aid to Afghanistan following the magnitude 6 quake on Sunday, which was followed by powerful aftershocks on Thursday and Friday, a State Department spokesperson said: “We have nothing further to announce at this time.”
The United States was, until this year, the largest aid donor to Afghanistan, where it fought a 20-year war that ended with a chaotic US withdrawal and the Taliban’s seizure of Kabul in 2021.
But in April, the Trump administration ended virtually all aid — totaling $562 million — to Afghanistan, citing a US watchdog report that humanitarian groups receiving US funds had paid $10.9 million in taxes, fees, and duties to the Taliban.
Asked whether the US would provide emergency relief for earthquake survivors, a White House official said, “President Trump has been consistent in ensuring aid does not land in the hands of the Taliban regime, which continues to wrongfully detain US citizens.”
‘Stuck in storage’
United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher said the Afghan earthquake was “the latest crisis to expose the cost of shrinking resources on vital humanitarian work.”
“Massive funding cuts have already brought essential health and nutrition services for millions to a halt; grounded aircraft, which are often the only lifeline to remote communities; and forced aid agencies to reduce their footprint,” he said in a statement on Thursday.
The Trump administration also has yet to respond to a request by the International Rescue Committee humanitarian organisation to send $105,000 worth of US-funded medical supplies following the first earthquake.
The materials include stethoscopes, first aid supplies, stretchers, and other essentials, said Kelly Razzouk, vice president of policy and advocacy for the IRC.
“The stocks are stuck in storage,” said Razzouk, who served on former US President Joe Biden’s National Security Council. “In recent memory, I can’t remember a time when the US did not respond to a crisis like this.”
The IRC needs Washington’s permission to send the equipment to Afghanistan because it had been funded by an unrelated US grant that the Trump administration had since canceled.
“Beyond the loss of life, we have also seen basic infrastructure and livelihoods destroyed,” Stephen Rodriguez, the representative in Afghanistan for the UN Development Programme, told reporters on Friday.
He said donations of money, goods, and services have come from Britain, South Korea, Australia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, and other countries.
The country’s top military brass, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari have paid glowing tributes to soldiers and martyrs from the armed forces as the nation observes the 60th Defence Day today.
The Defence Day is observed every year on September 6 to commemorate the legacy of the 1965 War, “when the Indian forces crossed international border in the darkness of night to attack Pakistan but the nation foiled [the] nefarious designs of the enemy,” a report by the state broadcaster Radio Pakistan recalled.
The report said commemoration began with a 31-gun salute in Islamabad and 21-gun salute in provincial capitals.
“Special prayers were offered in mosques for the progress and prosperity of the country, and independence of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir from the clutches of India,” it added.
Karachi marked Defence Day with a changing of the guard at Quaid-i-Azam’s mausoleum, performed by a contingent from the Pakistan Air Force.
DawnNewsTV broadcast images showing personnel marching, performing elaborate display drills, singing the national anthem and hoisting the flag at the Karachi landmark.
Air Vice Marshal Shehryar Khan also attended the ceremony.
A contingent of Pakistan Air Force personnel performs a parade to mark Defence Day at the Mazar-i-Quaid in Karachi on September 6. — AFP
In his address broadcast on DawnNewsTV, he said: “The people and protectors of Pakistan, whether they are on the battlefield, the frontiers or in the streets of our cities, are always prepared.
“The recent operation Bunyanum Marsoos brought back the memory of September 6, 1965. It proved that if our armed forces and brave people stand together, then no power can defeat us
“… Any act of aggression against Pakistan will be met with a befitting response. The score will not be 6-0, but, with the help of God, 60-0,” he added.
In Lahore, a changing of the guard ceremony took place at Mazar-i-Iqbal, with Lahore Corps Commander Lieutenant General Fayyaz Hussain Shah attending as the chief guest, according to state broadcaster PTV News.
“The corps commander visited Iqbal’s mausoleum, where he laid a wreath of flowers and recited the fatiha,” the report read.
PTV News added that the occasion was commemorated with a 21-gun salute, as well as a gun salute by a contingent from the Pakistan Army.
‘Courage of fearless heroes continues to inspire future generations’
A statement issued by the military’s media affairs wing in relevance to the day said that on behalf of the armed forces, Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf and Chief Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu paid tributes and “offered their deepest respect to the valiant martyrs and their families on the 60th Defence and Martyrs’ Day”.
“September 6, 1965, epitomises the unflinching resolve and unshakeable spirit of the Pakistani nation. On this historic day, our brave soldiers, with the support of nation, stood like an insurmountable wall against blatant aggression, thwarting the nefarious designs of an enemy far superior in arms and numbers.
“The feats of heroic valour and sacrifice left an indelible message on the sands of time, that a united nation can never be defeated,” it added.
The statement further stated that the “courage of our fearless heroes continues to inspire future generations and their legacy shall live on forever”.
An Uqaab Force commando stands guard outside Mazar-i-Quaid in Karachi on September 6, during celebrations to mark Defence Day. — AFP
“Today, the nation honours and salutes its martyrs, its ghazis and their resilient families who have offered unparalleled sacrifices for the security of this great country,” it said.
Recalling that the armed forces had stood resolutely against external aggression and terrorism and “have always supported the people of Pakistan in calamities and natural disasters”, it expressed their resolve to extend all-out support to people affected by the recent floods.
Referring to the calamity, it said the Defence Day would be observed with “utmost humility”.
The statement further read: “Today, we reaffirm our pledge to uphold the sacred responsibility entrusted to us by the nation. Pakistan’s armed forces remain ever vigilant and prepared to defend the country against all kinds of threats. Any attempt to disrupt our hard-earned peace will be met with a befitting and decisive response.”
Messages from political leadership
In separate messages ahead of Sept 6, PM Shehbaz and President Zardari reaffirmed the nation’s commitment to safeguarding its sovereignty, countering external threats, and building a united, prosperous future.
They also recalled the 1965 War with India, noting that Pakistan’s valiant armed forces, with the full support of the people, had thwarted enemy aggression, proving that the country possesses the will and capacity to defend its independence and integrity.
Highlighting the recent Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, Marka-i-Haq, PM Shehbaz lauded the Pakistan Army, Navy, and Air Force for their unmatched professionalism and combat skills under the strategic leadership of Field Marshal Asim Munir.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to peace and constructive international engagement but warned against ignoring the reality of continuous Indian provocations and shifting regional dynamics.
Expressing solidarity with the oppressed people of occupied Kashmir, the prime minister reiterated unwavering support for their struggle for self-determination, stressing that it cannot be suppressed by force.
He also strongly condemned ongoing Israeli aggression in Palestine and urged the international community to ensure the protection of civilians and uninterrupted humanitarian aid to Gaza.
In a separate message posted on X today, the premier said Pakistan’s policy of peaceful coexistence and constructive engagement with the world, as well as the nation’s commitment to strengthening and modernising defence capabilities.
He asserted that Pakistan remained committed to the policy of peaceful coexistence and constructive engagement with the world.
“Yet, we cannot be oblivious to the reality of persistent Indian provocations and the changing regional environment. We shall continue to strengthen and modernise our defence capabilities, while also confronting the twin menace of state-sponsored terrorism and foreign proxies operating within our borders,” he added.
Earlier, President Zardari, in his message, paid tribute to the valiant sacrifices of the nation’s armed forces and reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to its defence and sovereignty.
He described September 6 as a glorious chapter in the country’s history and emphasised that the spirit of sacrifice from the 1965 War continued to serve as a guiding light for future generations.
The president highlighted the significance of this year’s Defence Day in light of the recent Operation Bunyanum Marsoos conducted in May 2025 against India.
“Just as our courageous forces demonstrated extraordinary valour and dedication in 1965, our sons once again proved their unmatched bravery during this year’s operation,” he said.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said that Sept 6 was a “historic day of courage and bravery, when the martyrs, the veterans and the nation together made Pakistan invincible”.
Naqvi said that from Kasur to Lahore and from Sialkot to Kashmir, the Pakistan Army had given a “befitting response to the enemy at every front with unmatched courage and unwavering resolve”.
He underscored that Sept 6 was the renewal of the pledge that the country’s sanctity would never be compromised.
In his message today, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari posted on X that on Defence Day, “we honour our martyrs, their families, our ghazis, and the resilient people of Pakistan whose sacrifices shaped our destiny.”
He added, “Our people have stood the test of time, weathering aggression, terrorism, and calamities with courage and integrity. This legacy of sacrifice and resilience continues to guide our unity and confidence in Pakistan’s future.”
Islamabad – Director General of Public Relations Navy (DGPR Navy) Commodore Ahmed Hussain SI(M) has been promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral. Rear Admiral Ahmed Hussain SI(M) has a vast experience of various command and staff appointments including command of PN Ships. He has also commanded US led CTF-151 at Bahrain. Rear Admiral Ahmed Hussain, recognized with the prestigious Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Military) for his distinguished service, has played a pivotal role in maintaining transparency and communications between the Pakistan Navy and the public. His duties include briefing media, overseeing outreach campaigns, and conveying the institution’s strategic messaging across national platforms. His promotion comes at a time when naval communication has become increasingly critical, amid global and regional security challenges and maritime developments.
WASHINGTON: After months of campaigning for the Nobel Peace Prize, President Donald Trump sent a sharply different message on Friday when he signed an executive order aimed at rebranding the Department of Defense as the Department of War.
Trump said the switch was intended to signal to the world that the United States was a force to be reckoned with, and he complained that the Department of Defense’s name was “woke.”
“I think it sends a message of victory. I think it sends, really, a message of strength,” Trump said of the change as he authorized the Department of War as a secondary title for the Pentagon.
Congress has to formally authorize a new name, and several of Trump’s closest supporters on Capitol Hill proposed legislation earlier Friday to codify the new name into law.
But already there were cosmetic shifts. The Pentagon’s website went from “defense.gov” to “war.gov.” Signs were swapped around Hegseth’s office while more than a dozen employees watched. Trump said there would be new stationery, too.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, whom Trump has begun referring to as the “secretary of war,” said during the signing ceremony that “we’re going to go on offense, not just on defense,” using “maximum lethality” that won’t be “politically correct.”
The attempted rebranding was another rhetorical salvo in Trump’s efforts to reshape the US military and uproot what he has described as progressive ideology. Bases have been renamed, transgender soldiers have been banned and websites have been scrubbed of posts honoring contributions by women and minorities to the armed forces.
He’s also favored aggressive — critics say illegal — military action despite his criticism of “endless wars” under other administrations. He frequently boasts about the stealth bomber strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, and he recently ordered the destruction of a boat that the US says was carrying drugs off the coast of Venezuela.
The Republican president insisted that his tough talk didn’t contradict his fixation on being recognized for diplomatic efforts, saying peace must be made from a position of strength. Trump has claimed credit for resolving conflicts between India and Pakistan; Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and Armenia and Azerbaijan, among others. (He’s also expressed frustration that he hasn’t brought the war between Russia and Ukraine to a conclusion as fast as he wanted.)
“I think I’ve gotten peace because of the fact that we’re strong,” Trump said, echoing the “peace through strength” motto associated with President Ronald Reagan
When Trump finished his remarks on the military, he dismissed Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, from the room.
“I’m going to let these people go back to the Department of War and figure out how to maintain peace,” Trump said.
Florida Republican Rep. Greg Steube proposed legislation in the House to formally change the name of the department.
“From 1789 until the end of World War II, the United States military fought under the banner of the Department of War,” Steube, an Army veteran, said in a statement. “It is only fitting that we pay tribute to their eternal example and renowned commitment to lethality by restoring the name of the ‘Department of War’ to our Armed Forces.”
Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, are introducing companion legislation in the Senate.
The Department of War was created in 1789, then renamed and reorganized through legislation signed by President Harry Truman in 1947, two years after the end of World War II. The Department of Defense incorporated the Department of War, which oversaw the Army, plus the Department of the Navy and the newly created independent Air Force.
Hegseth complained that “we haven’t won a major war since” the name was changed. Trump said, “We never fought to win.”
Trump and Hegseth have long talked about restoring the Department of War name.
In August, Trump told reporters that “everybody likes that we had an unbelievable history of victory when it was Department of War. Then we changed it to Department of Defense.”
When confronted with the possibility that making the name change would require an act of Congress, Trump told reporters that “we’re just going to do it.”
“I’m sure Congress will go along,” he said, “if we need that.”
Trump and Hegseth have been on a name-changing spree at the Pentagon, sometimes by sidestepping legal requirements.
For example, they wanted to restore the names of nine military bases that once honored Confederate leaders, which were changed in 2023 following a congressionally mandated review.
Because the original names were no longer allowed under law, Hegseth ordered the bases to be named after new people with similar names. For example, Fort Bragg now honors Army Pfc. Roland L. Bragg, a World War II paratrooper and Silver Star recipient from Maine, instead of Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg.
In the case of Fort A.P. Hill, named for Confederate Lt. Gen. Ambrose Powell Hill, the Trump administration was forced to choose three soldiers to make the renaming work.
The base now honors Union soldiers Pvt. Bruce Anderson and 1st Sgt. Robert A. Pinn, who contributes the two initials, and Lt. Col. Edward Hill, whose last name completes the second half of the base name.
The move irked Republicans in Congress who, in July, moved to ban restoring any Confederate names in this year’s defense authorization bill.
Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, a Republican who co-sponsored the earlier amendment to remove the Confederate names, said that “what this administration is doing, particularly this secretary of defense, is sticking his finger in the eye of Congress by going back and changing the names to the old names.”
Screengrab of the incident from video (X/@dauranbaloch1)
Aleema Khan, sister of Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, was attacked with an egg while addressing reporters outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on Friday.A video of the episode has gone viral on social media, showing the egg hitting Aleema as she spoke to the media.Supporters of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party quickly apprehended two women accused of throwing the eggs and handed them over to police, news agency PTI reported.Rawalpindi police said the arrested women were PTI party supporters who had travelled with members of the All-Government Employees Grand Alliance to protest against unmet demands. The statement added that the egg was thrown after Aleema did not respond to questions from the two women. Both were later taken into custody and moved to the Adiala checkpoint.PTI condemned the act as “shameful,” alleging the women were planted for political motives and accusing police of helping them escape in a car. “The women were sent to Aleema’s media talk as part of an agenda,” the party said.Leaders across the political spectrum criticized the attack.Balochistan National Party-Mengal chief Akhtar Mengal condemned the act, calling it “the lowest form of politics.” He said, “Even in enmity, a woman deserves dignity. Targeting women is the lowest form of politics, and this cheap stunt must be condemned in the strongest words.”Federal minister for development Ahsan Iqbal said, “Politics must remain a contest of ideas, not of violence or hatred. We should all work to keep it healthy and respectful.”Meanwhile, PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique described the incident as “shameful, vile and crude.”Imran Khan has been in prison for more than two years facing multiple charges. In January 2025, a Pakistani tribunal sentenced the former prime minister to 14 years in prison, while his wife, Bushra Bibi, received a seven-year sentence in connection with a corruption case involving land graft.The allegations centred on the acceptance of land from a property magnate in exchange for facilitating money laundering during Khan’s tenure as prime minister.Prior to this verdict, Khan had received three separate convictions related to corruption, disclosure of state secrets, and violations of marriage laws, carrying sentences of 10, 14 and seven years respectively.
IT is difficult to disagree with the remarks of the Supreme Court’s Justice Athar Minallah, who on Thursday indicated that the hybrid system in Pakistan — where unelected powers are actively involved in civilian affairs — is a euphemism for dictatorship.
The veteran judge, while speaking in Karachi, also dwelt on the role the senior judiciary has played in the country’s history by endorsing the unconstitutional moves of strongmen.
Putting it bluntly, he said that the “77-year judicial history is not a matter of pride for me”, while giving examples of the Maulvi Tamizuddin case, as well as of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s trial and Gen Musharraf’s assaults on the constitutional order, to prove how at crucial times their lordships have sided with authoritarian rulers to subvert the rule of law. Mr Minallah also praised the bravery of judges who refused to bow before dictators.
Pakistan’s damaging experiments with different forms of hybridity, from earlier decades to the present day, have only weakened institutions, particularly parliament and the judiciary. And rarely have proponents of the hybrid system been held to account for their failures; the actual powers wash their hands of mistakes, while their civilian partners face the music. In contrast, in fully functioning democratic systems, elected leaders are held accountable before the voter.
Considering the judiciary’s role, as highlighted by Justice Minallah, in supporting unconstitutional moves — and these grim episodes are well-documented in our history — ‘willing’ collaborators on the bench have worked with usurpers to subvert the constitutional system, often guided by the ‘doctrine of necessity’. Sadly, in the current scenario too, many of their lordships have been perceived as coming to the aid of the real powers to give their legal blessings to doubtful laws and amendments.
The solution, as Justice Minallah suggested, is deceptively simple on paper, but difficult to put into practice: abiding by the Constitution, with all institutions staying within the bounds prescribed for them by the basic law. In this regard, when the country faces rampant insecurity, it is essential that the military sticks to its core duty of defending Pakistan. We face two major militant insurgencies — in KP and Balochistan — while a hostile neighbour to the east, and an unreliable regime in Kabul, mean we must constantly remain vigilant.
In such a situation, if the security apparatus indulges in political management, the focus on defence can become diluted. Whether it is direct military rule or a ‘hybrid’ system, both have left lasting scars on the constitutional system. Hence, there is a need to move away from the hybrid model in the interest of democracy, and in the interests of both the civilian and military leaderships.
