The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Sunday reported severe damages across Pakistan’s northern regions, with at least 313 lives lost in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and dozens more in Punjab, Sindh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Balochistan and the federal capital, following days of torrential monsoon rains and flash floods.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, NDMA Chairman Lt. Gen. Inam Haider Malik cautioned that three intense monsoon spells are expected in the coming weeks, with rainfall intensity likely to be 50 percent higher than normal. “Urban flooding is likely in Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and other major cities,” he warned.
The hardest-hit districts include Buner, Bajaur, and Battagram in KP, where the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) confirmed heavy casualties and extensive destruction of homes, roads, and crops.
PDMA KP Director General Asfandyar Khattak said the province’s death toll has surpassed 300, making it the most affected region so far.
Lt. Gen. Haider said the monsoon system, intensified by extreme summer heat, is expected to last until early September, adding that surveys would be launched to assess damages while priority would be given to restoring communication infrastructure.
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He announced that relief packages will be sent to high-casualty districts, while search operations for missing persons continue. The NDMA will coordinate with the Ministries of Communications and Housing to rehabilitate damaged infrastructure, he added.
“This scale of loss is part of climate change impacts. As a nation, we must collectively confront these challenges,” the NDMA chief stressed.
He underlined that early warning systems remain essential to reducing future risks, especially as the next two weeks pose heightened danger for northern Punjab, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan.
The widespread flooding has displaced hundreds of families, destroyed key road links, and disrupted rescue efforts, with authorities warning that damages to agriculture and housing may take months to recover.
