ABBOTTABAD: A few hours of torrential rain exposed years of alleged institutional negligence in Abbottabad, as a three-kilometre stretch of the Karakoram Highway (KKH) collapsed into a deep ravine, bringing traffic to a standstill and triggering widespread disruption across the city.
The sudden downpour turned this strategic highway- a key artery of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)- into a raging torrent. With drainage systems overwhelmed and natural water channels blocked, flash floods carved through the road between Supply Bazaar and Ayub Teaching Hospital. Traffic remained suspended for hours, stranding hundreds of vehicles, including heavy transport and passenger coaches, on both sides of the breach.
The highway compounded an already dire situation as floodwaters inundated major localities, including Sikandarabad, Sethi Mosque area, Jhangi Qazian, Jhangi Saydan, Sir Syed Colony, Hussan Town, and the small industrial estate. The overflowing Jab Nullah, heavily encroached upon over the years, submerged the industrial area, damaging machinery, finished goods, and infrastructure. Heavy losses occurred in adjacent residential areas as water entered homes, forcing many residents to seek refuge on rooftops.
Urban planners and local observers point to decades of unchecked encroachments on natural drainage channels as the central cause of the disaster. Historical records indicate that Abbottabad was originally designed with three main nullahs, the Jab Canal, the Mirpur-Jhangi Jab Canal, and the Main City-Jab Canal, to carry rainwater efficiently through the city.
However, these waterways have been narrowed or blocked due to illegal construction, including commercial plazas and other structures built directly over natural drains. Experts warn that such encroachments have critically reduced the city’s drainage capacity, forcing water onto roads and infrastructure during heavy rains.
The disaster always sparked a familiar blame-game between the National Highway Authority (NHA) and the Cantonment Board Abbottabad since long and long standing issue were seriously ignored.
Officials from the Cantonment Board accused the NHA of failing to complete a drain project along Mansehra Road, alleging that the absence of proper linkage between drainage systems caused water to accumulate and ultimately breach the highway. On the other hand, NHA rejected the allegations, stating its responsibility is limited to roadside drainage along the KKH. They argued that municipal authorities had allowed sewerage and solid waste to clog the drainage systems, rendering them ineffective during heavy rainfall.
Legal experts say the situation reflects long-standing non-compliance with court directives. In a previous ruling, the Peshawar High Court had ordered authorities to remove encroachments, clean storm drains in a timely manner, and establish an Encroachment Removal Cell. However, residents and activists argue that these directives were largely ignored.
Advocate Zafar Iqbal, who has been pursuing the case since 2017, indicated he may initiate fresh legal proceedings, including contempt petitions against relevant departments for failing to act on the court’s orders.
For residents of Abbottabad, the catastrophe underscores a painful reality: the destruction was not caused solely by natural forces but by systemic failures in governance, planning, and enforcement.
As emergency response and restoration efforts continue, calls are intensifying for a high-level inquiry to determine responsibility and implement lasting reforms. Without urgent intervention, experts warn, Abbottabad risks facing similar or even more severe disasters in future monsoon seasons.
