Category: 1. Pakistan

At least 22 people died and 11 others were injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in accidents related to rain, strong winds, flash floods and landslides since June 25, according to a report by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).

Heavy rainfall and flash floods have wreaked havoc in the province while 18 people were swept away along the Swat River due to a sudden surge in the gushing water. Authorities have warned of potential flash floods and landslides as monsoon rains continue across the province.

The PDMA released a report on the loss of life and property due to rain-related incidents in different districts of the province including Swat, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Chitral, Buner, Swabi, Kurram Charsadda, Malakand, Shangla, Lower Dir, Torghar, and South Waziristan.

According to the report, the victims include seven men, five women and 10 children, while the injured include six men, four women and one child. A total of 75 houses were damaged due to rain, of which 64 were partially and 11 completely destroyed.

Swat was the most affected district, in which 14 people were killed and six people were injured, the report added.

The PDMA instructed the district administration to provide immediate assistance to the affected families and ensure the provision of medical facilities to the injured.

The disaster management agency said rains are likely to continue till July 1. The PDMA has already issued a letter to the district administration to remain alert and take preventive measures.

Rescue operation continues in Swat River

Meanwhile, rescue officials continued a search operation on the fourth straight day in the Swat River on Monday after a group of 13 tourists went missing amid heavy rainfall and a flash flood.

Efforts are being made to recover the body of a child who is still missing since Friday, while 12 bodies were found earlier.

Rescue teams are conducting search operations in various location along the river including Swat bypass, Kanju and Brikot to locate the missing child.

Adviser to the chief minister on information in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif assured that action will be taken against those responsible for the drowning of the tourists.

Speaking to the media, the adviser said 80 people have been rescued in the flash floods. He added that the provincial government will take ‘indiscriminate’ action against encroachments along the Swat River.

Saif claimed that sending a helicopter to rescue the tourists swept away by flash floods was not possible as the air ambulance lacked equipment.

“We have an air ambulance. But according to civil aviation, pilots, and other experts, it was not possible to rescue [the tourists] from the location,” he added.

He said the air ambulance is used to transport the injured but does not have the equipment required to airlift people in rescue operations.

He further said sending the air ambulance in the inclement weather conditions and tough terrain would have caused a disaster rather than rescue the stranded people.

Saif said those demanding KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s resignation are also responsible for the deaths in Tharparkar, Sindh.

Earlier, CM Gandapur directed his inspection team to probe into the deaths in Swat River’s flash flood. He also expressed sorrow over the tragedy and announced compensation for the deceased.

The government suspended three officials from Swat’s district administration and one from the relief rehabilitation and settlement department.

People from all walks of life took to the streets on Saturday to protest the deaths, claiming that local residents reached out to Rescue 1122, local administration and other departments but received a late response, leading to the loss of lives.

The Swat Olasi Pasoon and civil society members demonstrated at Nishat Chowk in Mingora against the delayed response of authorities to the call of stranded tourists for help.

Political activists, traders and lawyers also joined them, blaming the Swat River deaths on the negligence of the district administration and rescue officials. The protesters called for the introduction of a modern rescue system, with helicopter service, and an early flood warning system.

They also voiced concerns about the growing riverbed mining in Swat, saying that the unchecked activity has altered the natural course of the Swat River, causing environmental damage and creating dangerous conditions for residents and visitors alike.

They demanded accountability over the flood-related deaths and improvement in disaster management and safety protocols to prevent such incidents in the future.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday stressed that Pakistan’s current foreign policy’s focus is on geo-economics, calling for the reimagination of regional cooperation within South Asia.

In recent months, Pakistan has increasingly sought to restore relations with neighbouring countries. On June 19, Pakistan, China and Bangladesh launched a trilateral cooperation mechanism, pledging to pursue “win-win cooperation” in what marked a subtle yet significant shift in South Asia’s strategic landscape. In recent months, Pakistan and Afghanistan have set out to restore their strained ties as Pakistan seeks to pursue a “secure and prosperous future” for itself, according to Dar.

Speaking at an event held to commemorate the 52nd anniversary of the Institute for Strategic Studies (ISSI), Dar stressed the significance of using foreign policy as a tool to promote the country’s economic interests, stating that enhancing trade, prompting foreign investment, attracting remittances and technology flows and forging development partnerships are among the highest priorities of the foreign ministry.

In South Asia, he noted that India’s “impulsive actions” have long thwarted the process of regional cooperation in the region and rendered SAARC dysfunctional.

The foreign minister stressed that the region instead “needs a positive lift for solidarity, mutually beneficial collaborations and shared prosperity”.

Reiterating Pakistan’s commitment towards economic diplomacy, Dar noted that Pakistan recently set up a trilateral mechanism with Bangladesh and China.

Bangladesh and Pakistan have historically shared strained relations.

He went on to say that “such interventions can be envisaged with other south asian nations as well, based on principles of common interest, mutual benefit, and win-win mutual cooperation”.

On improving relations with Afghanistan, the foreign minister recalled that Pakistan has devised a trilateral mechanism with Afghanistan with the cooperation of China, as the country seeks to “reset Pakistan and Afghanistan’s relationship on a positive trajectory”.

“Our visit to Kabul on April 19 and Pakistan, China and Afghanistan’s trilateral meeting in Beijing paved the way for a qualitative change,’ he stated, adding that Pakistan has agreed to extend CPEC to Afghanistan.

“Having made sincere efforts in Afghanistan’s interest, it is our legitimate expectation that the Afghan interim government would take all steps necessary to ensure that Afghanistan’s soil is not used for terrorism against any state, particularly Pakistan,” he added.

Dar stressed that he has always pushed for economic diplomacy.

Speaking about Pakistan’s long-standing strategic partnership with China, he said, “our all-weather strategic partnership continues to scale up to new heights”, while ties with the United States are “expanding both in scope and substance”.

“The relationship with Russia is growing into a partnership deemed vital by both sides, and we remain fruitfully engaged with the EU [European Union], Japan, and ASEAN,” Dar stated.

Pakistan is also forging collaboration with Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and the UAE in the Gulf region, he added.

Noting the shifting of the world order given recent geopolitical events, Dar reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to charting a “forward-looking course”.

Pakistan remains committed to safeguarding its sovereignty, territorial integrity and shouldering its obligations as a responsible member of the international community, he added.

On the matter of Indian aggression against Pakistan in May this year, the foreign minister pointed out that Pakistan gave a “quid pro quo plus” response — which is the “new normal” set by Pakistan if India insists on its dangerous notion of “limited war under the nuclear threshold”.

“The outcome of this four-day war has once again underscored the reality that India can neither intimidate nor coerce Pakistan,“Dar said, urging India to “rethink its present hubrisitic and misguided policies that threaten peace and undermine security in South Asia”.

Calling India’s move to hold the Indus Water treaty in abeyance illegal in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, he vowed that “Pakistan will continue to mobilise all international and legal forums to highlight India’s violation of international law”.

Reiterating Pakistan’s support for Kashmir, he stressed, “sustainable peace in South Asia remained contingent on a just and lasting solution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute”.

The foreign minister also condemned the United States’ recent attacks on Iran’s nuclear facility in the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, calling it a “violation of international law and the UN charter”. He also condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza, terming it a “stain on the collective conscience of humanity”. He reiterated Pakistan’s call for the recognition of a Palestinian state.

• Administration negligence, mining blamed for disaster.
• No timely alerts issued before deadly water surge.
• Illegal mining altered Swat River’s natural watercourse.

SWAT: As the death toll from the Swat River tragedy rose to 12, questions have emerged over administrative lapses, illegal riverbed mining, and delayed rescue operations that may have worsened the disaster.

The incident occurred on Friday when 17 members of a family from Sialkot were swept away by a sudden surge in the Swat River while picnicking near the bank. Harrowing videos circulated on social media showed the family stranded on a rapidly shrinking island of land, calling for help for nearly an hour with no immediate rescue in sight.

So far, 12 bodies have been recovered, including that of a child found in Charsadda on Sunday. Search is still underway as one person remains missing.

Although this year’s flooding has not reached the scale of devastation seen in 2010 or 2022, the damage has been significant. The floodwaters reportedly surged from areas such as Khwazakhela, Manglor, and Malam Jabba — regions not typically associated with the river’s initial rise —causing unexpected and dangerous conditions downstream.

Observers point to the failure of authorities to issue timely alerts as a key factor. Had early warnings been communicated and residents directed to safer locations, it is believed that some lives could have been spared.

Illegal riverbed mining

Illegal mining along the Swat River is also under scrutiny. The unregulated excavation of gravel and sand from the riverbed has severely altered its natural course. 

The use of heavy machinery has led to the formation of pits and mounds within the river, obstructing water flow and potentially contributing to dangerous surges during flooding. 

These activities have reportedly continued in plain sight, raising concerns about regulatory enforcement.

Delayed rescue, lack of equipment

The rescue operation itself has also come under fire. Despite being stationed just 3 to 4 kilometres from the site, Rescue 1122 teams reportedly took 19 minutes to arrive and were ill-equipped, lacking boats, ropes, and trained divers. Equipment had to be ordered during the operation, arriving too late to make a meaningful difference.

Additionally, attention has turned to encroachments along the riverbank. Critics have questioned how structures were allowed to be built within 200 feet of the river, in violation of safety regulations. 

Although the government has since launched a crackdown on such illegal constructions, there are calls for accountability against the officials who issued no-objection certificates (NOCs) and building permits.

Encroachments, violations questioned

Concerns have also been raised over the fairness of the anti-encroachment drive, with accusations that enforcement may be selective. Observers stress that for the operation to be effective and accepted by the public, it must be carried out without bias, regardless of the socioeconomic or political status of those affected.

In response to the incident, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has imposed a complete ban on mining along riverbeds and initiated a province-wide operation to remove illegal structures. 

KP Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah announced that the crackdown would extend to all unauthorised constructions, including hotels built too close to rivers, as part of a broader effort to prevent future tragedies.

The authorities are now under increased pressure to address the systemic issues that contributed to the deadly incident and to implement reforms that prioritise safety and accountability.