Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Thursday summoned an emergency meeting in light of the worsening flood situation in Rawalpindi following heavy rainfall. The prime minister also sought immediate reports from the commissioner of Rawalpindi and the managing director of WASA. The sources informed that the emergency meeting will assess the damage caused by the downpours and review the preventive and rescue measures in place. 

Torrential rains lashed the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, as well as the Chakwal region and the areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) over the past 24 hours, severely disrupting daily life. Rawalpindi and Islamabad alone received more than 200 millimetres of rainfall, and Chakwal and nearby areas received a record 427 millimetres of torrential rain. Due to the inclement weather, the district administration in Rawalpindi declared a holiday.

The downpour caused a sharp rise in the water level of Nullah Lai, reaching 18 feet at both Katarian and Gawalmandi. In Chakwal, the intense rainfall triggered flash floods and forced the district administration to declare a rain emergency. The flooding led to a breach in a local dam in Chakwal, prompting the evacuation of residents in surrounding areas. The floodwaters have also entered the historic Kattas Raj temples, while several localities—including Ararr Mughlan.

Takiya Murad Shah, Mohra Mast, Khanpur, and Choasaidan Shah—have been severely affected by the deluge. According to a spokesperson for the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), rescue operations are ongoing to relocate stranded residents to safer locations. “Given the alarming situation, the district administration is in constant coordination with the Pakistan Army,” the spokesperson added, assuring that the rescue mission will continue until every last person is safely evacuated.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)