LAHORE: Seven people were killed and three others went missing in Gujranwala division due to flooding in rivers, caused by abrupt release of huge amount of water into Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej by India, confirmed the divisional commissioner here on Wednesday.
Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal and National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq accused India of using water as a weapon against Pakistan as the country kept grappling with a severe and unprecedented flood situation during the last 36 hours, amplified by unilateral water releases from Indian dams.
On Wednesday two children were swept away when a dyke of the Chenab River at Shahbazpur village in Gujrat district was breached. Another was rescued by locals. Floodwaters gushed into settlements within minutes of the breach, trapping three children. Villagers rushed to carry out rescue efforts on their own, recovering the bodies of 13-year-old Abdul Rauf and his 12-year-old cousin Samiullah. A third child was pulled out alive.
The latest report from the Flood Forecasting Division, issued at 9pm on Wednesday, August 27, 2025 painted a grim picture of the situation. The Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers were experiencing dangerously high flood levels.
Earlier in the day, the authorities blew up an embankment next to a monsoon-engorged Qadirabad dam on the Chenab River on Wednesday as flooding submerged Kartarpur Corridor, one of the world’s holiest Sikh sites.
Three transboundary rivers -- Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej -- have swollen to exceptionally high levels as a result of heavy rains in India and release of excessive amount of water in these river by the Indian authorities.
It has triggered flood alerts throughout the Punjab province. The army was also deployed in eight districts of Punjab to help evacuate people and livestock near the Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej rivers.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Wednesday that rescue and relief operations were continuing across the country on the special directives of the prime minister and chief of army staff.
Briefing the media, he said an engineer brigade, 19 infantry units, and seven engineering units are actively participating in the relief activities. He added that army helicopters have so far conducted 26 flights in the affected areas.
The ISPR DG said two soldiers lost their lives and two others sustained injuries during flood relief efforts. “No post in flood-affected areas has been abandoned,” he added. He said that a major rescue operation was under way in Kartarpur using boats.
He affirmed that the Pakistan Army and the people stood united, saying: “No malicious force can drive a wedge between them.”
He said that the Chief of Army Staff had issued directives to military formations to assist in flood operations.
The Pakistan Army carried out a rescue operation in flood-affected areas of Daska, where a large number of Sikh community members had been stranded. The army personnel moved swiftly to transfer affected families to safer locations. So far, 96 members of the Sikh community have been relocated.
Floods have affected 601,126 people in 769 villages across Punjab, according to an official statement issued by the provincial government.
Rescue and relief operations are under way across Punjab on the directions of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. A total of 263 relief camps and 161 medical camps have been established, providing food and temporary shelters to the affected.
Relief supplies, including food and drinking water, are being distributed in Sambrial, Sialkot and Pasrur, while evacuation efforts continue in Kasur, Nankana Sahib, Chiniot, Palkhu Nullah and other flood-hit areas.
The statement added that the Pakistan Army, district administration and other institutions are actively participating in the operations.
The provincial government called in army troops in eight districts of Punjab to help rescue people from already flooded areas in the province and for relief and evacuation efforts.
The army has been requisitioned in Lahore, Okara, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Narowal, Kasur, Sargodha and Hafizabad to support district administrations in protecting lives and property.
Around 210,000 people had moved to another location, according to the disaster authorities.
The Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) said very high to exceptional high flood level will continue in River Sutlej at Ganda Singh Wala and downstream, River Ravi at Jassar and downstream, while high to very high flood levels are likely to continue in the nullahs of the Ravi and Chenab rivers within the next 24 hours.
Heavy rainfall may generate flash floods in parts of Kashmir, Murree, Galliyat, Chitral, Swat, Kohistan and northern Punjab, and cause urban flooding in major cities including Lahore, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Peshawar.
According to daily Federal Flood Commission (FFC) report on Wednesday, River Chenab at Trimmu is expected to attain exceptionally high flood level in the evening of August 29.
Similarly, the River Chenab at Panjnad (including discharges from Balloki and Islam) is expected to reach a very high flood level on Sept 2, 2025. River Indus at Guddu and Sukkur in Sindh province is expected to attain very high flood on Sept 4-5, 2025.
Currently, River Indus is flowing in low flood in Chashma-Taunsa-Guddu-Sukkur-Kotri reaches while River Chenab is in very high flood with falling trend at Marala.
There is an exceptionally high flood with a rising trend at Khanki and Qadirabad.
Deputy Commissioner Wasim Hamid Sindhu said the district administration had issued a red alert to tackle possible floods in the Chenab and Sutlej rivers.
Acting on the Punjab government direction, evacuation of citizens from riverine areas had been accelerated. He said flood relief camps had been set up at Head Muhammad Wala, Bund Bosan, Sher Shah and Jalalpur Pirwala.
Meanwhile, torrential rains in Sialkot have broken a 49-year record, submerging large parts of the city and leaving residents stranded.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), 363.5mm of rainfall was recorded within 24 hours, marking the heaviest downpour since 1976.
At Kartarpur, floodwaters entered the project management unit, leaving over 100 workers stranded, while breaches were made in Mandi Bahauddin and Alipur Chattha to divert the Chenab’s flow.
Meanwhile, a dyke of the Chenab River at Shahbazpur village in Gujrat district was breached on Wednesday, inundating surrounding residential areas and leaving two children dead while another was rescued by locals.
Local estimates suggest that nearly 100 residents remain encircled by rising waters. The district administration officials confirmed the breach and said relief operations were being launched.
Officials said water levels in the Ravi have reached highs not seen since 1955 at Jassar and since 1988 at Shahdara.
Flooding in the Sutlej River has disrupted electricity supply from eight feeders in Kasur Circle, the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) spokesperson said on Saturday.
According to the spokesperson, power supply has been suspended from Sutlej, Chant, Chabar, Tatarah, Palwah, Najabat, and Kacha Paka feeders. As a result, electricity supply to around 40 villages in Kasur Circle has been cut off.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Wednesday directed the NDMA to take immediate measures to address potential urban flooding in Lahore, Sialkot and Gujrat, besides continuing its early warning and relief efforts. He was chairing an emergency meeting to discuss the situation caused by heavy rains and potential flood in Punjab. He ordered to enhance the effectiveness of flood and rainfall warnings, emphasizing the importance of timely information sharing between NDMA and PDMA Punjab to minimize losses.
Meanwhile, NDMA Chairman Lt-Gen Inam Haider Malik said on Wednesday that nearly 210,000 people had been safely evacuated from flood-affected regions with no casualties reported.
Speaking to journalists, he said the large-scale rescue efforts were carried out in close coordination with the Pakistan Army, Rangers, Rescue 1122, Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs) and other agencies. He acknowledged the logistical support provided by the Prime Minister’s Office, which has supplied 5,000 tents for relief operations.
The PM is scheduled to visit vulnerable areas on Thursday, including Narowal, Sialkot and flood-affected regions along the Sutlej River in Lahore.
During his visit to Kartarpur, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said that India stores water in rivers and suddenly releases it in the form of torrents without any warning. He warned that such water aggression endangers precious lives and property. He said some matters go beyond national disputes and political differences.
He strongly condemned India’s behaviour regarding water release. “India had turned even a natural disaster into a political tool,” he added.
Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq also expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of innocent lives and property caused by the recent floods in various districts of Punjab. “In this testing time, the parliament and the entire nation stand in full solidarity with the affected brothers and sisters,” he said in a statement issued by the National Assembly Secretariat on Wednesday. He strongly condemned India’s irresponsible act of releasing water into rivers without prior intimation. He said that India, in grave violation of international laws, released an extraordinary volume of water all at once, which caused devastating floods in Pakistan and resulted in losses worth trillions. He stressed that this action by India is not only against humanitarian principles but also constitutes a blatant breach of international regulations.
However, Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Wednesday that the recent floods in Punjab are the result of climate change and record rainfall, not any alleged role by India.
Speaking on Geo News programme “Capital Talk”, he said unusually heavy rains and cloudbursts had triggered both river and urban flooding across the region. He added that water levels in Sindh are currently normal and there is no immediate threat after the inflows from Punjab.
Also, President Asif Ali Zardari expressed sorrow over the loss of lives and property caused by recent rains and floods in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.
He directed the Sindh government to make immediate preparations for a possible major flood wave and expressed confidence that the people of Pakistan would confront the situation with courage and determination.
Rain and thundershowers are forecast for parts of Sindh including Mithi, Tharparkar, Sukkur, Larkana, Jacobabad, Dadu and Umerkot on August 30-31.
In Balochistan, areas including Barkhan, Musakhel, Loralai, Sibbi, Zhob, Kalat and Khuzdar are expected to receive rainfall with isolated heavy falls between August 30 and September 1.
In Faisalabad, around 200,000 people have been evacuated to safer locations in the last 24 hours as high-level flooding continues in rivers Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab across central Punjab.
Director General Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Irfan Ali Kathia said after 38 years, such a large amount of water has come into the rivers of Punjab and a big flood will pass through Shahdara on Wednesday night.
Talking to the media in Lahore, he said the water flow in the Ravi River at Shahdara was 72,000 cusecs and during the night, a flood will pass through Lahore and Shahdara, which will be a big challenge.
Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan visited Shahdara to review the flood situation and challenges arising from the flood water leveling in River Ravi.
During his visit, the provincial administration and relevant departments briefed the minister that comprehensive arrangements are in place to deal with any emergent situation.
Provincial Minister for Housing and Urban Development Bilal Yasin visited Ravi River to assess flood situation where current flow of water relay at Shahdara was 85,000 cusecs.
In view of the worsening flood situation in the River Chenab, hundreds of villages in Jhang have been inundated and a high flood alert has been issued. Evacuation of residents from low-lying areas along the river has already begun.
Also, flood situation has entered a critical phase in south Punjab creating dangerous flood threats to Multan and Muzaffargarh following high rise in floodwaters, The News has learnt. The next 36-48 hours are very sensitive for Multan and Muzaffargarh districts, officials told The News on Wednesday.
Also, the riverine areas of the Katcha in Gambat and Kingri, Sehwan, were inundated due to overflowing of water in Indus river once again and many villages and crops were submerged.
