Pakistan recently hosted an unprecedented Regional Chiefs of Defence Staff Conference in Islamabad, drawing senior military representatives from the United States, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The summit focused on joint strategies for regional security, counterterrorism coordination, and military collaboration in the face of evolving hybrid threats, including cyber intrusions, militant cross-border movements, and environmental crises.
At the same time, the country faces one of its worst monsoon seasons in recent years. Since late June, torrential rains and rapid glacial melt have triggered a chain of flash floods, landslides, and urban inundation across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit‑Baltistan, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and Azad Kashmir. The death toll has surpassed 200, with over 500 injured and numerous people still missing. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced, infrastructure has been destroyed, and entire villages remain cut off.
Notably, intense rainfall in Punjab provinces recorded over 80 % above the seasonal norm, while Balochistan saw an alarming 187 % increase compared to last year. Glacial lake outbursts and flash floods have severely affected tourist hotspots like Babusar Pass and Naran, where emergency evacuations rescued more than 200 stranded travelers by ground and air.
Authorities from the National Disaster Management Authority and provincial disaster agencies have launched large-scale relief efforts. Response teams are distributing tents, food, hygiene kits, and medical aid; clearing roads; and coordinating rescue operations with military helicopters to retrieve stranded individuals in remote areas.
Climate experts warn that warming temperatures—especially in high-altitude regions exceeding 48 °C—have accelerated glacier melt, raising the risk of further disaster. The scale of destruction echoes the record-breaking 2022 floods which submerged one-third of the country.
The government has issued continued flood alerts across all major regions, with weather forecasts predicting more heavy rainfall, particularly in river basins and hill terrain. Citizens are urged to avoid travel to vulnerable zones and to heed evacuation warnings. Leaders emphasize that the crisis underscores Pakistan’s urgent need for climate resilience planning, infrastructure investment, and enhanced regional coordination to mitigate future disasters.
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