Category: 1. Pakistan

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Monday said security agencies had arrested an alleged “would-be suicide bomber” as they foiled a terrorist attack on Independence Day.

The security situation in Balochistan has worsened in recent months, as terrorists, long involved in a low-level insurgency, have stepped up the frequency and intensity of their attacks. The banned so-called Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), in particular, has adopted new tactics to inflict higher casualties and directly target Pakistani security forces.

Addressing a press conference in Quetta alongside other top officials, the chief minister said: “On August 14, the suicide bombers had planned to target innocent citizens who were celebrating Independence Day.”

He commended the security agencies, the Balochistan Counter-Terrorism Department, and the police for saving the province from “huge destruction”.

CM Bugti then aired a recorded statement of a highly educated man who had been arrested for his alleged involvement in facilitating terrorists.

In the video, the man, working as a lecturer at Balochistan University, confessed to having links with terrorist groups. After airing the man’s statement, CM Bugti noted that the information being shared was “not in great detail”, so as not to sabotage ongoing investigations.

He recalled that the Nov 2024 Quetta Railway Station bombing, in which “32 precious lives were lost and 50-plus were injured”, and explained how the arrested lecturer was allegedly involved in facilitating the attack.

“He (the lecturer) had him (the suicide bomber) sit on a motorcycle and dropped him near the railway station, and after that, handed him over to another handler about one kilometre away from the railway station,” Bugti said.

Stating that some attributed the Balochistan militancy issue to “deprivation,” the chief minister rhetorically asked: How are these people deprived?

“The mother is still receiving a pension which means she was a government employee, his wife is also a government employee, he himself is a Grade-18 [officer], has studied and done a PhD on Pakistani scholarship, brother is an employee in Reko Diq [project], which means he was not deprived in any way,” Bugti added.

CM Bugti explained that the BLA’s Majeed Brigade operated in “three to four tiers” — “footsoldier” being the lowest and comprising uneducated people, the second tier using women for targeted killings in cities, and the top-most “sophisticated” tier that the lecturer was a part of.

“This is the first time security forces have accomplished such a big success, of arresting a leader of Majeed Brigade’s ‘sophisticated’ tier,” Bugti said.

He said that the narrative about “deprived people engaging in such acts,” which he noted was also echoed in a multi-party conference (MPC) in Islamabad yesterday, was “an attempt to legitimise this entire fight against Pakistan”.

In a gathering organised by the Awami National Party on Sunday, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman questioned the government’s writ in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s tribal areas. Balochistan National Party-Mengal and Jamaat-i-Islami were among the various parties that attended the moot.

Bugti mentioned that when the CTD went to arrest the “would-be suicide bomber”, his neighbours intervened and tried to resist the arrest.

“I want to tell the people of Balochistan: we filed an FIR (first information report) against all of them, every one of them is arrested.

“But please, stay away from these people. If you stay close to them, you will also be treated like a suicide bomber,” he advised.

“This has nothing to do with unparalleled or underdevelopment,” Bugti said, again criticising yesterday’s MPC for terming violence in KP as terrorism but describing the militancy in Balochistan as “something else.”

“We are not in favour of collective punishment. But the Balochistan government will also see when relatives of those who join these groups do not alert their security agencies, political leadership or tribal elders, which means the entire family is involved,” Bugti warned.

Responding to reporters’ queries, the Balochistan CM, while asserting he did not want to “go into any blame game”, said it seemed the previous provincial governments had divorced themselves from the issue.

Pointing out the listing of individuals in the Fourth Schedule, Bugti stressed the importance of further strengthening the CTD’s Special Branch for improved intel.

“We have investigated 2000 to 2,500 people, especially government employees. Some were innocent and their names were from the Fourth Schedule, some were sent explanation letters, some were suspended, some were terminated.

“We will not spare. We’ll fight this war, in warfare and lawfare too,” CM Bugti asserted.

“Those who wish to talk to us will find our doors open,” the chief minister said, urging all political parties to stand against terrorism and to acknowledge the state’s sacrifices in countering it.

‘Betrayal of state’

In his statement, the lecturer provided details of his alleged links to terrorist outfits, saying that in 2020, he was introduced to three individuals affiliated with “an organisation”, two of whom were later killed. He said that two men, Dr Habetan and Feh Khaliq, got him to join a militant group and had him meet with a man named Basheerzai.

He said that all introductions were carried out through the Telegram messaging app, known for privacy features like secret chats, self-destructing messages, and anonymity.

The lecturer recalled that, on the instructions of Dr Habetan and Feh Khaliq, he had assisted the group by providing shelter to a militant injured in a clash in Kalat and stated that he had handed the man over to another individual before the incident, and that the militant died the next day in a railway suicide bombing.

He further recounted another incident in which he sheltered a man for seven to eight days, who was later intended to be used in an August 14 attack. The lecturer also confessed that he had purchased a pistol, which was subsequently used in targeting security forces and government employees.

The man expressed regret over his actions, admitting that they were unlawful and amounted to a betrayal of the state.

US systemic rivalry with China over the contours of the emerging world order has made many assume that it backs all opponents of the People’s Republic, from neighboring states with whom Beijing has territorial disputes to terrorist groups, yet a recent move just shattered this perception.

The US State Department abruptly raised the Balochistan Liberation Army’s (BLA) 2019 “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” designation to a “Foreign Terrorist Organization” amid the US-Pakistani rapprochement.

The BLA is veritably a terrorist group whose last well-known attack was its deadly hijacking of the Jaffar Express earlier this spring, which followed an upsurge of other terrorist attacks over the past three years, including against projects connected to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

CPEC is a flagship project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and was envisaged as giving China direct access to the Indian Ocean for preemptively mitigating the effects of any future US blockade of the Malacca Strait.

This series of megaprojects has stalled in recent years for a variety of reasons, ranging from corruption to Pakistan’s political dysfunction since April 2022’s post-modern coup and especially the BLA’s spree of terrorist attacks afterwards, which exploited the state’s and security apparatus’s new focus on crushing the opposition.

Given the outsized role that the BLA has played in subverting the CPEC, which the US hitherto turned a blind eye to for reasons of strategic convenience despite its existing terrorist designation, it should be a de facto US ally.

Instead, its US terrorist designation was just raised, thus naturally prompting the question of why. The rapidly evolving regional and global contexts help answer that.

Not only has the US entered into a rapprochement with Pakistan, but it’s also seeking one with China, as seen in Trump’s eagerness to reach a trade deal and his recent muted criticism of Beijing. This could respectively reshape the region and the world alike if these dual rapprochements successfully derail India’s rise as a great power.

By raising the BLA’s terrorist designation, the US is signaling that it will stop opposing CPEC as part of what might be a grand compromise with China, with this concession aimed at helping to revive one of the BRI’s flagship projects so as to further strengthen the Sino-Pakistan alliance against India.

Getting CPEC back on track could also offset the incipient Sino-Indo rapprochement since it was CPEC’s announcement a decade ago that sparked the latest phase of their rivalry due to it transiting through Indian-claimed but Pakistani-controlled territory.

The grand strategic goal that the US is pursuing is the “G2”/“Chimerica” scenario of dividing the world with China after it failed to restore unipolarity, which requires containing, subordinating and possibly even “Balkanizing” India since its rise as a great power would scupper the plan.

Indian analyst Surya Kanegaonkar suspects that the BLA’s new designation could precede a US-Pakistani attempt to place India on the Financial Action Task Force on the pretext that it backs the group, which may be correct but has never been proven.

All told, the importance of the BLA’s new terrorist designation is that it corroborates claims that the US is using its new rapprochement with Pakistan to advance a more globally significant one with China, both of which are driven in large part by their now apparently shared interest in derailing India’s rise as a great power.

Whether or not the US-Pakistani rapprochement holds, a US-Chinese one seems increasingly secured amid ongoing trade talks, and/or India is contained, the fact is that the US is attempting another power play follows its latest against Russia.

This article was first published on Andrew Korybko’s Substack and is republished with kind permission. Become an Andrew Korybko Newsletter subscriber here.

ISLAMABAD: The death toll from this week’s torrential rains and flooding in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province has risen to 323 since Aug. 15, the KP Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said on Sunday, as federal authorities forecast more rains over the next 24 hours.

The cumulative death toll from rain-related incidents in Pakistan has surged to 657 since late June, when the monsoon rains first began in the country, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

Apart from KP, 164 fatalities have been reported in Punjab, 32 in Gilgit-Baltistan, 28 in Sindh, 20 in Balochistan, 15 in Azad Kashmir and eight in the federal capital of Islamabad.

Raging hill torrents flattened several homes and swept away dozens of people in KP’s Swat, Buner, Bajaur, Torghar, Mansehra, Shangla and Battagram districts on Friday. Officials said several bodies were found on Sunday in the worst-hit Buner district.

“So far, 323 people have died and 156 people have been injured in various accidents due to rains and flash floods in the province,” the KP PDMA said on Sunday night.

“The deceased include 273 men, 29 women and 21 children, while the injured include 123 men, 23 women and 10 children.”

The rains, cloudbursts and deluges have damaged a total of 336 houses since Aug. 15, according to the PDMA report. Of these, 106 were completely destroyed. A total of 209 people have been displaced in Buner district, the most affected by Friday’s cloudburst and subsequent floods.

KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Sunday visited Buner, where he promised survivors compensation for their financial losses, urging residents of disaster-prone areas to relocate from there.

“The data of all the losses is being compiled,” CM Gandapur told reporters in Buner. “It is beyond our power to compensate the loss of lives, but we will compensate financial losses, damages to private property.”

Several people were still missing and search efforts were focused on areas where homes were flattened by water torrents that swept down from the mountains, carrying massive boulders that smashed into houses like explosions.

The NDMA has forecast more “heavy to very heavy rainfall” in parts of the country over the next 24 hours, particularly in Islamabad, KP, Punjab and Azad Kashmir, under the current weather system.

“Heavy to very heavy rainfall/thunderstorms are expected in Islamabad over the next 24 hours with occasional gaps. Most parts of Punjab will see widespread rainfall/thunderstorms. Districts in the Potohar and northeastern parts, including Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum, Chakwal, Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat, Narowal, Hafizabad, and Mandi Bahauddin, are expected to face heavy to very heavy rainfall, increasing the chances of urban flooding,” it said on Sunday evening.

“Northern and upper KP districts, including Swat, Buner, Shangla, Dir, Mansehra, Battagram, Abbottabad, and Malakand, are expected to witness heavy spells, with flash floods and landslides possible in hilly terrain over the next 24 hours. The Peshawar valley, covering Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan, and Swabi, will see scattered thunderstorms.”

In Azad Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Bagh, Haveli, Kotli, Mirpur and Bhimber are expected to receive heavy rainfall and thunderstorms, which may trigger landslides and flash flooding, particularly in hilly areas, according to the authority.

Isolated rainfall is expected in Gilgit, Skardu, Hunza, Ghizer, Diamer, Astore, Ghanche, and Shigar. Rainfall may cause debris flows, landslides, or local flooding in valleys. The southern province of Sindh and Balochistan may receive light to moderate rainfall.

The monsoon season brings South Asia about three-quarters of its annual rainfall, vital for agriculture and food security, but also brings destruction.

“The intensity of this year’s monsoon is around 50 to 60 percent more than last year,” NDMA chief Lt. Gen. Inam Haider told journalists in Islamabad on Sunday.

“Two to three more monsoon spells are expected until the first weeks of September.”

Pakistan is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change and is contending with extreme weather events with increasing frequency. Monsoon floods in 2022 submerged a third of the country and killed around 1,700 people.

ISLAMABAD:

The PML-N and the PPP on Sunday refused to sign a declaration adopted by an All Parties Conference (APC) that among other things demanded immediate halt to all military operations and described terrorism, extremism, and lawlessness as an outcome of poor government policies.

The APC convened in the federal capital by the ANP was attended by all major political parties.

Speaking on the occasion, ANP chief Aimal Wali Khan said there are people in Waziristan — a district that has witnessed a number of military operations in the past two decades — who have not returned home for 12 years. He said such a situation could not be called development.

Khan said his party is not against Punjab and is pro-Pakistan. “But Pakistan does not give us equal rights. Asking for our rights should not be seen as being against Pakistan,” he added.

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said there is a question mark on the political and parliamentary system of the country as the present government is not representative of the people but a government of the establishment. “Our peaceful protests and marches are branded as rebellion — this is what pushes movements toward revolt,” he said.

QWP chief Aftab Khan Sherpao said the government, not the establishment, should conduct negotiations with the opposition. “If direct talks are held, it will bypass parliament. The PM should convene a meeting and include representatives of the establishment.”

PML-N leader Irfan Siddiqui supported Fazl’s call for a national dialogue, adding that martial laws and dictators have hollowed out the state. However, he questioned if politicians’ hands were also clean.

“This same army has defeated an enemy five times its size. If martial law was truly in place, such conferences would not even be possible.

“Pakistan will survive, the four provinces will endure, and no one will be allowed to undermine the Constitution. The army sees Pakistan from a Pakistani perspective,” he said.

A joint communiqué presented at the APC, however, caused a split among political parties. The PML-N and the PPP opposed the declaration, refused to sign it, and boycotted the press conference.

The communiqué termed the ongoing unrest, terrorism, and violation of rights in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Balochistan as a result of failed state policies, stressing that sustainable peace and progress in Pakistan could not be achieved without democracy, supremacy of the Constitution, and provincial rights.

It demanded immediate halt to all military operations in the K-P and Balochistan and establishment of a Truth Commission under judicial supervision to investigate human and financial losses.

The declaration described terrorism, extremism, and lawlessness as outcomes of poor government policies, calling for comprehensive measures to eliminate them. It called for disbanding all alleged “death squads” and illegal armed groups, ensuring the protection of citizens’ lives and property.

It called for recognition of provinces’ rights over minerals and resources in line with the 18th Constitutional Amendment and rejected the proposal to merge the Levies Force into the police in Balochistan, calling instead for its modernization.

The declaration also called for transfer of all powers in the merged tribal districts to the civil administration and abolition of laws like “Action in Aid of Civil Power”.

It described enforced disappearances as blatant violations of the Constitution, demanding the recovery and production of all missing persons before courts.

It also called for release of all “political prisoners” and provision of a free environment for political activities. The APC also demanded immediate dissolution of unconstitutional bodies, “particularly the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC)”.

It also called for repealing unjust laws such as 3-MPO and the Fourth Schedule and condemned the government over its failure to arrest the killers of ANP leaders Maulana Khanzeb, Mufti Munir Shakir, and other martyrs.

It demanded rehabilitation of terrorism- and operation-affected areas, along with the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and provision of compensation, jobs, and business opportunities.

PPP’s Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, PML-N’s Irfan Siddiqui and Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry all declined to sign. “These are your demands, not ours and we cannot endorse them,” Siddiqui said. The MQM, the PML-Q, and other parties, however, supported the declaration.

Participants also expressed sorrow over the natural disasters and devastating floods in the K-P. In light of the situation, the Islamabad “Peace March” scheduled for August 23 against terrorism and military operations in K-P was postponed.

 

 

ISLAMABAD:

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi will arrive in Islamabad this week to lead his country in the Pakistan-China strategic dialogue and hold meetings with the civil and military leadership to discuss bilateral ties along with key regional and international developments.

Official sources told The Express Tribune on Sunday that the top Chinese diplomat will undertake a two-day visit beginning on August 21, flying in directly from New Delhi, where he starts a crucial tour on Monday.

In Islamabad, the Chinese foreign minister will review the current state of bilateral ties between the two countries and discuss key regional and international developments.

His visit comes against a backdrop of a host of developments, including the India-Pakistan military conflict in May, the Iran-Israel war in June and the recent warming of ties between Pakistan and the United States.

China’s support played a pivotal role in Pakistan’s victory over India during the four-day conflict. Although Beijing did not participate directly, Chinese J-10C fighters and PL-15 beyond-visual-range missiles (BVR) helped Pakistan shoot down six Indian fighter jets, including French-made Rafales.

China also extended diplomatic backing to Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack, supporting Islamabad’s call for a third-party investigation into the incident that brought the two nuclear-armed neighbours to the brink of full-scale war.

Given the current geostrategic environment, both sides are expected to explore ways to further deepen cooperation. Contacts between the two countries have increased markedly in recent months.

During Wang’s visit, the agenda of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s upcoming trip to China is also expected to be finalised. The prime minister is likely to travel later this month to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit and hold bilateral meetings with the Chinese leadership.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is expected to visit Dhaka on August 23, in a trip that was twice postponed due to regional tensions. Dar was initially scheduled to visit Bangladesh in April, but the Pahalgam attack and ensuing Pakistan-India military escalation delayed the trip.

The forthcoming visit highlights the steady improvement in Pakistan-Bangladesh relations. Since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina Wajid a year ago, ties between the two countries have undergone a dramatic shift.

The former Awami League government maintained minimal engagement with Pakistan. However, the interim government led by Professor Muhammad Younus moved to restore ties by lifting restrictions on Pakistani exports and diplomats, and by commencing direct sea trade.

Dar’s trip is part of efforts to consolidate the rapprochement, with formal talks scheduled with his Bangladeshi counterpart and Chief Advisor Muhammad Younus.

Ahead of the visit, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal will be in Dhaka this week for discussions on trade and commercial ties.

It is expected that Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb may follow in September to attend the first Pakistan-Bangladesh Joint Economic Commission meeting in 20 years.

ISLAMABAD: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Sunday issued a grave warning of intensified monsoon activity, alerting that Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa face severe risks of cloudbursts, urban flooding, and river inundation as three major weather systems converge over Pakistan.

According to the NDMA, this year’s monsoon rainfall is expected to be 50–60pc higher than normal, with three more heavy spells likely through early September. Urban flooding threats loom large over Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, and Gujranwala, while northern areas face the additional dangers of landslides and flash floods. Besides KP and GB, districts in Sindh such as Tharparkar, Sujawal, Tando Allah Yar, Tando Muhammad Khan, and Badin are likely to experience intensified monsoon activity.

Meanwhile, search was still on for many of those missing as Rescue 1122 officials said they had recovered 373 bodies from the flood-hit areas across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa with majority of them from Buner district. Rescue and search operation was underway in the affected areas in Buner and other districts where many people spent nights under the open sky after their homes were destroyed and their loved ones were killed by the floods after cloudburst and rains.

Sources said that death toll till Sunday night had risen to 540.

“The Rescue 1122 has recovered 373 bodies from all the flood-hit districts of the province till Sunday while rescue and search operation was still underway,” spokesman for Rescue 1122 Bilal Ahmad Faizi told The News. As many as 316 wounded were shifted to hospitals or provided emergency treatment.

The official said that around 5,212 people were rescued and shifted to safe places during the operation in which 1,778 personnel and 132 vehicles took part.

Moving scenes were witnessed when people buried their entire families in Pishunai and other most affected villages in Buner. Over 50 people were laid to rest in a single graveyard in the area.

According to the report of the PDMA, a total of 336 houses were damaged or destroyed due to rains and flash floods. Out of these 230 houses were partially destroyed and 106 houses were completely destroyed.

These incidents occurred in different districts including Swat, Buner, Bajaur, Torghar, Mansehra, Shangla and Battagram.

There was a forecast of heavy rains from August 17 to 19, while the current series of rains was likely to continue intermittently until August 21.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Sunday announced that the provincial government would fully compensate the people for the losses they had suffered in the floods.

“Unlike in the past, our government will fulfill every promise made to the flood victims,” he assured while speaking at a meeting in Swat after visiting Buner as part of his tour of flood-affected districts.

He chaired a meeting at the Malakand Division Commissioner’s office to review the situation caused by the recent floods.

The meeting was attended by provincial cabinet members Arshad Ayub Khan, Fazal Hakim Khan, Dr Amjad Ali, Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, and other senior officials.

The chief minister announced that the provincial government had released Rs3 billion for the Communication and Relief departments.

On the instructions of the chief minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the supply of relief goods consisting of 89 trucks to the affected districts was completed.

The relief goods included tents, mattresses, beds, kitchen sets, tarpaulins, mats, mosquito nets, generators and other daily life items.

The PDMA has released Rs800 million as a relief fund for the district administrations of the affected districts.

A relief fund of Rs500 million was released to the administration of the most affected district Buner. The government officials were busy supervising the operations in the affected areas. Many organisations and individuals were busy providing food items, medicines, tents and other required essentials to the affected areas in Buner, Swat, Shangla, Bajaur, Dir, Mansehra and other districts. People were asked through social media to collect donations and provide it to the people in the flood-hit areas.

“All those coming to help the affected people should contact the government officials, reliable organisations or do it themselves on the spot to discourage the fraudsters that emerge during such times,” said an elder of Buner, Syed Saadat Jahan.

In Buner, the additional deputy commissioner was made focal person for the relief and rehabilitation activities and a cell was established under the official. The same was done in other districts.

The flood-affected residents staged a protest on Sunday to resent the denial of relief, non-cleaning of streets and lack of electricity and gas supply.

The people from Lundikx and Makanbagh in Mingora gathered on the Saidu Sharif Road and blocked the main thoroughfare to register their anger.

The protesters raised slogans against the government, saying that even after three days, they had received neither relief assistance nor cleanup of the streets and lanes.

They complained that their neighborhoods were without electricity and gas, while there was also an acute shortage of drinking water.

“Mud and sand have accumulated inside and outside our houses and streets, leaving us with nowhere to go,” said one of the protesters, adding that the administration and government had failed to provide relief or carry out cleaning work.

NDMA spokesperson Dr Muhammad Tayyab Shah cautioned the public against unnecessary travel in mountainous regions and said that all provincial departments were on high alert under the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast persistent heavy rainfall until August 22, with the monsoon remaining strong into September.

NDMA Chairman Lt-Gen Inam Haider revealed that torrential rains and flash floods have already caused over 400 fatalities across the country, including 313 deaths in Buner, Bajaur, and Battagram alone. Widespread destruction of homes, infrastructure and roads has left many families stranded, particularly in Gilgit-Baltistan and KP.

Authorities have imposed Section 144 in high-risk zones, including Rawalpindi’s Nullah Lai, to prevent casualties. Emergency teams and flood warning systems have been mobilised as water levels continue to rise in major rivers and reservoirs, with moderate flooding reported at Kalabagh, Chashma and stretches of the Indus River.

General Inam confirmed that the prime minister has ordered a nationwide damage survey and directed immediate relief operations, with food and aid supplies to reach affected districts from Monday. Restoration of communication links and roads remains the top priority, while rehabilitation efforts will follow once the monsoon subsides.

He stressed that the devastation reflects the impact of climate change, urging the nation to remain united in facing the crisis.

Also, on the directives of PM Shehbaz Sharif, the NDMA issued an advisory on Sunday restricting tourist activities in mountainous regions due to intensified monsoon activity.

The authority directed provincial administrations to impose curbs in disaster-affected areas to protect visitors from possible floods, landslides and other monsoon-related hazards. It said restrictions under Section 144 could be enforced where required, with law-enforcement agencies tasked to ensure strict implementation.

Separately, a mother and her daughter were killed on Sunday when a cloudburst triggered flash floods in Kateshu village of Kharmang district, bringing the overall death toll from torrential rains and floods across Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) to 14. Another woman was critically injured in the incident and shifted to hospital by locals, taking the toll of injured to 30 in flood related incidents.

Officials confirmed that Ghizer valley remains the worst affected, with Dain village completely washed away, while agricultural land, irrigation channels and water supply lines in multiple districts have suffered severe damage.

In Diamer district, a brother and sister remain missing after being swept away by a flood in Bonar Nala. Separately, eight volunteers sustained injuries in a landslide in Diamroi.

The natural disaster has also trapped groups of domestic tourists in Naltar valley near Gilgit, where road blockades caused by landslides cut off access. Rescue teams and locals have been mobilised to clear the route and provide assistance.

Meanwhile in Gilgit city, residents endured a third consecutive day of complete load-shedding on Sunday, prompting road blockades and street protests in several parts. Demonstrators demanded immediate restoration of power supply.

In Skardu, the civil administration and Pakistan Army restored the Skardu-Jaglot road at Bagicha within 18 hours of a bridge collapse, reconnecting the valley with the rest of the region. The ISPR said the operation, initially estimated to take days, was completed overnight.

Government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq said relief and rehabilitation efforts are being jointly carried out by the provincial administration, Pakistan Army, GB Scouts, NDMA, Rescue 1122, and tourist police. Clean drinking water, power supply and irrigation restoration have been declared top priorities.

Faraq added that Rs970 million have been released for rehabilitation under the chief minister’s directives, while emergency projects worth Rs500 million are underway to restore damaged schemes.

Meanwhile, on the instructions of Federal Minister for Communications, the National Highway Authority (NHA) mobilised all resources for rehabilitation of national highways damaged by recent rains in the country’s northern regions. As part of this effort, NHA Chairman Shehryar Sultan spent three days in the field, leading relief and restoration operations. He is overseeing rehabilitation activities in KP, where multiple roads have been affected by rains and flooding.

The NHA chairman on Sunday visited Buner and held a meeting with deputy commissioner in his office along with senior NHA officers. He extended full support in restoration work and directed NHA officers to mobilise more machinery to accelerate pace of work. During his visit, he inspected the Nowshera-Chitral Highway (N-45) and issued on-site directives for its swift and complete restoration. He also visited the Chakdara-Khwazakhela Highway (N-95), viewed the flood-affected sections and instructed teams to expedite repair work.

In addition, he toured the Khwazakhela-Bisham Highway (N-90), reviewed the extent of damage and issued immediate instructions for its full restoration.

Meanwhile, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) chalked out a plan to cope with any unexpected situation arising out of ongoing heavy rains spell in low-lying areas of Islamabad.

On the directions of Chief Commissioner Islamabad/CDA Chairman, Muhammad Ali Randhawa, the Additional Deputy Commissioner (General), along with DG Rescue 1122 Islamabad, Director Machinery Pool Organisation (MPO), representatives from Solid Waste Management Directorate and Road and Marketing, conducted visits to low-lying and critical areas including Saidpur Village and Chattha Bakhtawar in view of the forecast monsoon rain spell.

Meanwhile, the Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan, under the supervision of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, dispatched a consignment of relief goods loaded in 21 trucks worth Rs100 million for flood-affected areas of Buner, Bajaur and Swat on Sunday.