Category: 1. Pakistan

KHAIRPUR: Pakistan: Three years after floods drowned Rasool Bux’s village in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province, he still fears every drop of rain. 

The 52-year-old farmer from Gul Muhammad Sanjrani village in Khairpur worries another deluge could wipe out what little he has rebuilt. His animals are the main source of income for his family of seven. He sells about five kilograms of milk daily to keep the household running.

The 2022 floods were among the worst climate disasters in Pakistan’s history, pushing millions into poverty and devastating agricultural regions in the Sindh province. As new monsoon rains lash the province, farmers and experts say protecting livestock, often the only safety net for rural households, must be a national priority.

“We are afraid because of what we saw during the 2022 floods,” Bux told Arab News while feeding his two buffaloes and three cows at one of around 200 new climate-resilient shelters built by German relief organization Malteser International in collaboration with the Sindh government. 

“Most villagers decided to leave their houses. We are poor people, so we stayed here on the road. Some of our animals perished.

“Then, there were also so many mosquitoes here. The nights were spent in sadness. We didn’t have the money to keep our remaining animals under mosquito nets.”

​Today, the shelters are helping local farmers like Bux recover what the disaster swept away.

“These [shelters] are very beneficial to us since we used to have a lot of trouble while gathering our livestock,” he said. 

“Our animals are at peace now.”

Livestock is the backbone of rural Pakistan’s economy, especially for families who may own no land. According to the Economic Survey of Pakistan issued in June, the sector supports over 8 million rural households, providing about 40 percent of their incomes and around 15 percent of the country’s GDP.

In a year when agriculture overall grew by just 0.6 percent, partly due to extreme weather, livestock still contributed 4.7 percent to the sector, the largest share.

Sindh, Pakistan’s second-largest crop-producing province, is especially vulnerable to floods. Around 930 kilometers of the Indus River snake through the region, making it one of the most flood-prone areas in the country, according to the International Growth Center.

In May, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved around $1.4 billion in climate financing for Pakistan under its Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), designed to strengthen the country’s defenses against future climate shocks and promote sustainable growth.

​Local groups working on the ground hope the government will channel some of that money toward projects like climate-resilient animal shelters in flood-affected areas like his village.

“The need for animal shelters here is huge,” said Muhammad Junaid Soomro, a project engineer at the Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO), which is partnering with Malteser. “Even 300 to 400 such units will fall short of the need we have here on a union council basis.”

“We are working in five union councils only, while there are 89 union councils in this district,” he added, urging the government to prioritize livestock and agriculture in flood-hit areas once the IMF funds become available.

“They [Malteser] have made these shelters with a small amount of available funds. These can be made more climate resilient with the IMF’s climate resilient funding,” Soomro said.

​In a written response to Arab News, the IMF said the RSF financing is meant to back broader policy reforms, not specific projects like livestock shelters.

“However, there are a number of ways in which the RSF will help to build climate resilience in Pakistan that will benefit Pakistanis living in flood-prone areas, such as farmers,” the IMF’s resident representative in Pakistan said. 

​He said the RSF supports reforms targeting water management and irrigation infrastructure, aiming to improve reliability and tackle issues like waterlogging, salinization, groundwater depletion and water insecurity.

“The RSF’s reforms take a whole-of-government approach, with some to be implemented at the provincial level,” the IMF representative added, noting that improved coordination between federal and provincial authorities will be key.

“LIVING BANK”

​While larger, policy-level shifts are awaited, groups like Malteser and SRSO are meanwhile focused on immediate fixes, building small, elevated shelters that offer some protection from future flooding.

“We felt the need for building these here as the disaster, the flood had devastated our animal shelters as well as our homes in the community,” said Kanwal Hussain, a project officer at SRSO.

The bamboo, plastic and mud shelters are raised about three feet above ground level, with canopy walls to stop rainwater from pooling and weakening the roof.

“We have built a canopy wall so rainwater does not stay there and damage the roof,” Soomro said.

Imdad Hussain Siddiqui, who served as a director of operations at the Provincial Disaster Management Authority of Sindh during the 2022 floods, described livestock as a “living bank” for rural families.

“Animals are the sole remaining resource where land and crops are swept away by flooding because they provide rescue, safety and the sole avenue through which families can recover and rebuild their lives,” Siddiqui told Arab News.

He said the loss of 1.1 million animals during the 2022 floods meant “direct destitution and long-term poverty” for many families.

“Strong infrastructure of livestock will enable such linkages to recover in the near future, permitting economic activity and income-generating opportunities for the affected people,” Siddiqui explained.

In 2022, the international NGO Germanwatch ranked Pakistan first on its Climate Risk Index due to extreme weather events including floods, landslides and storms during the intense monsoon season.

Pakistan is already in the grip of another punishing monsoon, with over 60 people killed in rain-related incidents in just one week, a reminder that the next flood is never far away.

For farmers like Rasool Bux, every storm brings up the memory of what was lost in 2022 — and what could be lost again.

“More such shelters should be built in our village where some people can afford to build them while others cannot,” he said.

Rescue teams were in the final stages of clearing the wreckage of a five-storey building that collapsed in Pakistan’s mega city of Karachi killing 27 people, officials said Sunday.

Residents reported hearing cracking sounds shortly before the apartment block crumbled around 10:00 am on Friday in Karachi’s impoverished Lyari neighbourhood, which was once plagued by gang violence and considered one of the most dangerous areas in Pakistan.

“Most of the debris has been removed,” Hassaan Khan, a spokesman for government rescue service 1122 told AFP, adding that the death toll stood at 27 on Sunday morning.

He expected the operation to finish by the afternoon.

Authorities said the building had been declared unsafe and eviction notices were sent to occupants between 2022 and 2024, but landlords and some residents told AFP they had not received them.

“My daughter is under the rubble,” 54-year-old Dev Raj told AFP at the scene on Saturday.

“She was my beloved daughter. She was so sensitive but is under the burden of debris. She got married just six months ago.”

Roof and building collapses are common across Pakistan, mainly because of poor safety standards and shoddy construction materials in the South Asian country of more than 240 million people.

But Karachi, home to more than 20 million, is especially notorious for poor construction, illegal extensions, ageing infrastructure, overcrowding, and lax enforcement of building regulations.

Peshawar [Pakistan], July 6 (ANI): The chairman of the inspection team investigating the recent Swat tragedy told the Peshawar High Court (PHC) that multiple government departments displayed negligence in the incident, Geo News reported.

During a court hearing on Thursday, officials appeared before the PHC to update the ongoing inquiry into the drowning of tourists in the Swat River. The inspection chairman stated that “departmental negligence had emerged,” prompting PHC Chief Justice Mohammad Ibrahim Khan to order swift identification of all responsible individuals, Geo News reported.

The tragedy unfolded on Friday when 17 members of a Sialkot family were swept away by a sudden surge while picnicking along the Swat Riverbank. Dramatic videos circulating online showed the family stranded on a shrinking island for nearly an hour, calling for help with no rescue in sight. To date, 12 bodies have been recovered, Geo News noted.

Justice Khan questioned the Commissioner of Hazara, Fayaz Ali Shah, on the safety measures implemented in tourist areas and medical preparedness. Commissioner Shah highlighted that Section 144 had been enforced in tourist zones, anti-encroachment operations were underway, and additional staff had been deployed at Nathia Gali hospital, according to Geo News.

When asked about new emergency measures post-Swat tragedy, Justice Khan pressed whether drones could be used in future crises. Commissioner Shah confirmed that drones capable of delivering life jackets had been procured. The court directed immediate testing of these drones, along with drills to evaluate response times, Geo News reported.

Chief Justice Khan emphasised that tourists must be ensured a safe environment. The RPO Hazara assured the court of enhanced coordination between police and rescue agencies in tourist regions, Geo News reported. The court also ordered both the Hazara and Malakand commissioners to submit detailed reports, including the full investigation into the Swat tragedy.

Separately, the Director General of Rescue 1122 KP, Shah Fahad, appeared before the inquiry committee. He was questioned on his whereabouts during the incident and the rescue timeline. Fahad responded that he was in Peshawar at the time and detailed that the emergency call came in at 9:45 am.

An ambulance was dispatched, though initial reports didn’t indicate a flood emergency. Rescue teams, including divers and boats, were then deployed, and three tourists were saved near Mingora Bypass Road, Geo News reported.

Fahad also confirmed that several rescue personnel involved in the response had been suspended pending an internal inquiry.

The court’s actions signal a heightened push for accountability and improved safety protocols in Pakistan’s northern tourist regions to prevent similar tragedies. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

The death toll from the five-storey building collapse in Karachi has risen to 27, with several people still missing under the rubble, officials said on Sunday.

Rescue teams worked overnight on Friday to pull out more bodies from the rubble of the building situated in Lyari on Fida Husain Shaikha Road in Lea Market.

Till Saturday, 80 per cent of the rescue operation had been completed, according to South Deputy Commissioner (DC) Javed Nabi Khoso.

Speaking to Dawn.com today at around 1:30pm, Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan said “it will take five to six more hours to complete the rescue operation”.

Khan added that several people are still missing under the rubble but he could not cite an official figure yet since rescue operations were ongoing.

“Five people, including three women have been injured and so far,” said a statement from Edhi Rescue Service.

A total of 27 bodies have been recovered so far, including nine women, 15 men, a 13-year-old child, a 10-year-old child, and a one-year-old infant. The bodies have been shifted to Civil Hospital Karachi by Edhi Ambulance.

Ten people who were injured have been discharged.

While speaking to the media today after leading the Ashura procession, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah provided details on the building collapse.

“Immediate rescue efforts were launched to save any survivors trapped under the rubble,” he said, adding that the bodies recovered had been handed over to the families.

He echoed Khan’s statement of rescue operations being expected to conclude today.

The chief minister assured that a detailed inquiry into the causes of the collapse would be conducted, with committees already formed to investigate the matter thoroughly.

He revealed that over 480 buildings in old city areas, mostly in District South, have been declared dangerous.

“The government plans to assist affected residents in finding alternative housing,” he said.

CM Murad added that the recently collapsed building was constructed only a few months ago, apparently without proper approval, and those responsible for unauthorised construction would face strict punishment.

He also urged the public to verify that any building they purchase has proper approval from the Building Control Authority.

He acknowledged that several people resist evacuation due to poverty and lack of alternatives, often buying or renting cheaper properties without checking safety approvals and later demanding government protection.

While empathising with these difficulties, he stressed that sometimes strict action is necessary to ensure public safety, as demonstrated by recent enforcement measures.

Karachi [Pakistan], July 6 (ANI): The death toll from the collapse of a six-storey Karachi residential building in the Lyari Baghdadi area has climbed to 26, with rescue teams recovering more bodies from the rubble, ARY News reported on Sunday, citing rescue officials.

Rescue teams removed 95 per cent of the debris from the collapsed residential building in the Baghdadi.

According to Hameer Ahmed, in charge of Rescue 1122 South, one more body has been located under the rubble, believed to be that of a young man. Efforts are underway to retrieve it with extreme caution, as per ARY News.

Residents believe this may be the final body trapped beneath the debris of the Karachi building collapse, though authorities have received a separate report about a missing rickshaw driver.

Hameer added that once the young man’s body is recovered, clearing of the remaining rubble will resume, which may provide clarity on the missing rickshaw driver’s whereabouts.

Karachi’s five-storey residential building collapsed on the morning of July 4, 2025. Miraculously, a three-month-old infant was pulled alive from the rubble.

The collapsed building, constructed in 1974, had been declared dangerous by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) three years ago, with multiple notices issued to residents to vacate the premises.

Karachi Commissioner Hassan Naqvi, who visited the site after the lapse of 13 hours, said that the primary responsibility for the recent tragedy lies with those residing in unsafe buildings. He said that the Sindh Building Control Authority had previously issued notices regarding the collapsed structure.

He urged residents to prioritize the safety of themselves and their families, emphasizing that forcibly evicting people from their homes is an undesirable task, and the administration has no intention of doing so.

According to authorities, an adjacent building has also been damaged in the collapse.

Investigations have revealed that the collapsed building had been declared unsafe long ago by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA). Officials claim that multiple notices were issued to residents to vacate the premises, but residents deny receiving any such warnings. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)