Islamabad (Gurpreet Singh): Pakistan is battling a worsening flood crisis as relentless rainfall and rising river levels inundate large parts of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The situation deteriorated after India released water into the Ravi and Sutlej rivers, prompting the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to sound a flood warning across vulnerable districts.
The revered Sri Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara has also been caught in the deluge. In the early hours of the morning, floodwaters engulfed its lower portion, leaving Angitha Sahib, Mazar Sahib, and Khuh Sahib submerged. Rescue teams are struggling to maintain contact with sevadars inside the complex, even as evacuation and relief operations continue.
Authorities estimate that nearly 150,000 people have already been moved to safer grounds. The Punjab government has launched urgent evacuations across Bahawalnagar, Kasur, Pakpattan, Okara, Bahawalpur, and Vehari, with hundreds of villages near riverbanks now under water. Residents have been advised to remain away from riversides and low-lying areas.
According to NDMA officials, the Ravi and Sutlej rivers remain dangerously high, and further rainfall in India’s Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand could worsen conditions. Teams from the administration and relief agencies are monitoring the situation round the clock, but the scale of displacement highlights the mounting pressure on Pakistan’s disaster response system.
