Floods Displace Two Million in Pakistan: Musadik Malik

News Desk

Islamabad: Federal Minister for Climate Change Musadik Malik on Sunday said that nearly two million people have been displaced across Pakistan due to devastating floods, stressing that the country’s poorest families are bearing the greatest burden.

“Our first, second, and third priority is the poorest 40 percent—around 800,000 people—who have no wealthy relatives to rely on and are in dire need of aid,” Malik told reporters.

Accompanied by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik, the minister appealed to citizens and NGOs to step forward in support of flood-hit families. “If there is any NGO in your area, or if you personally can help a displaced family, please do so,” he urged.

He said the government was prioritizing urgent relief measures, including food, medicines, mosquito nets, clean drinking water, water tanks, and temporary electricity supplies for affected communities. Authorities, he added, were also on high alert to prevent the spread of epidemics in crowded makeshift camps.

Despite being abroad, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is receiving daily updates and issuing instructions on relief operations, which are also shared with the country’s military leadership. Army Chief Field Marshal General Syed Asim Munir, Malik noted, is personally monitoring the situation on the ground.

“The federal government is standing shoulder to shoulder with the provinces, while the Army, Rangers, NDMA, PDMA, and Rescue 1122 are all working together,” Malik said. “No one can stop a natural disaster, but we are making every effort to minimize its damage.”

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He added that early simulations and community evacuation drills over the past six months had helped reduce the loss of human lives compared to previous disasters, though homes, crops, and livelihoods remain devastated.

Floodwaters continue to pose a major threat at Head Trimmu, Head Panjnad, and Kot Mithan, where several rivers converge. Authorities are striving to keep flows below one million cusecs but are preparing for higher surges. Controlled breaches in uninhabited areas are also planned to protect larger populations.

Highlighting Punjab’s geography, Malik warned that the Panjnad system could face flows of up to three million cusecs if conditions deteriorate further.

He linked the ongoing crisis to the global climate emergency, pointing out that rising temperatures and glacier melt were driving flash floods and river blockages. “Pakistan contributes less than one percent of global carbon emissions, yet suffers disproportionately. The top 8 to 10 countries are responsible for 70 percent of these emissions,” he said.

The minister also praised the efforts of provincial governments and security forces in Narowal, Sialkot, and flood-hit parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, calling for national unity in the face of disaster.

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“No single institution can take credit,” he stressed. “This is Pakistan’s collective responsibility, and all relief being provided is for Pakistan. Above all, the government stands with the poor.”

River Chenab likely to attain exceptionally high flood in next 24 hour

The Federal Flood Commission (FFC) has said that River Chenab at Trimmu is expected to attain very-high to exceptionally high flood level during the next 24-hours while exceptionally high flood level will continue in River Sutlej at Ganda Singh Wala. 

According to the daily FFC report on Sunday, River Chenab at Panjnad is expected to attain very high flood to exceptionally high flood level on 4 th September. 

River Indus at Guddu is expected to attain very high flood on 5th September while flash flooding is expected in the Nullahs of D.G. Khan, northeastern Balochistan and tributaries of River Kabul. 

Urban Flooding is expected in Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Lahore and Sahiwal within next 48-hours, the report further said.

Similarly, river Indus is running in low flood at Guddu (Falling trend) while River Chenab is in  medium flood at Khanki (Steady condition) and high flood at Qadirabad (Falling trend). River Ravi is also flowing in medium flood at Jassar (Falling trend) and exceptionally high flood at Balloki (Falling trend). 

River Sutlej is also flowing in exceptionally high flood at Ganda Singh Wala (Steady condition) and in high flood at Suleimanki (steady condition).

Tarbela Dam is at its Maximum Conservation Level (MCL) of 1550 feet since August 27, 2025. Mangla Reservoir stands at 1225 feet which is 17 feet below its MCL of 1242 feet.

The combined live storage of Tarbela, Chashma and Mangla reservoirs stands at 11.933 MAF, which is 89.61% of the total available live storage capacity of 13.316 MAF.