Nepal UK
Picture Credit: Dawn
Islamabad - Pakistan is currently in the eighth phase of its monsoon season, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), with a combination of torrential rains and rising river levels causing widespread flooding across the country. The armed forces have been deployed for extensive rescue and relief efforts in multiple provinces, including Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Gilgit-Baltistan.
As of Wednesday, August 27, 2025, at 5:40 PM Nepali Time, the Pakistan Meteorological Department's Flood Forecasting Division issued a critical warning for the coming days. The Indus River at the Guddu and Sukkur barrages is expected to reach "very high" flood levels on September 4th and 5th. Exceptionally high flood levels are also continuing in the River Sutlej at Ganda Singh Wala and the River Ravi at Jassar. The River Chenab at Panjnad is expected to attain a "very high" flood level by September 2nd, with the Trimmu Barrage on the same river anticipated to reach an "exceptionally high" level on Friday evening, August 29th.
The army's flood response, as outlined by Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, involves the deployment of 19 infantry units, seven engineer units, and four medical units. The DG ISPR noted that the army has rescued 28,000 people and set up 29 medical camps across the affected regions. At around 5:29 PM Nepali Time on August 27, he confirmed that a major rescue operation was underway in Kartarpur Sahib, where boats were being used to rescue stranded individuals. In the Gujranwala division, six infantry and two engineer units have assisted civil authorities in evacuating 6,000 people.
In Punjab, the provincial home department has requested military assistance in eight districts, including Hafizabad, Sialkot, and Lahore, to support local administrations. On August 27, 2025, at 5:44 PM Nepali Time, visuals from Sialkot showed citizens and vehicles struggling through inundated streets after the city recorded its highest 24-hour rainfall in 49 years, with 363.5 millimetres.
The rescue service, Rescue 1122, has reported that over 32,500 people have been safely evacuated from areas along major rivers in Punjab, including the Indus, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej, and Jhelum.
Amid the crisis, politicians have also commented on the situation. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar noted that the NDMA is coordinating with provincial agencies, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered federal ministers to visit the affected areas and monitor relief operations. Former politician Jahangir Khan Tareen has pledged more than Rs20 million to aid flood victims in Lodhran.
A climate change expert, Masood Lohar, has described the floods in eastern Punjab rivers as highly unusual, explaining that it is linked to changes in weather patterns and has posed a significant risk to downstream cities.
(Source: Dawn reporting and local media outlets)
