Pakistan on high alert after India issues flood warning

Pakistan has placed its rescue services on high alert and relocated more than 24,000 people in Punjab province following a flood warning from neighbouring India, officials said on Tuesday.

“We have relocated more than 24,000 people from low-lying areas near rivers in Punjab,” said Farooq Ahmad, spokesperson for the provincial rescue service, adding that more evacuations may follow depending on the situation.

Hundreds of trained rescuers had been deployed to manage potential emergencies.

The warning was shared by India via diplomatic channels on Monday, marking the first official contact between the two nuclear-armed neighbours since tensions escalated in May.

Under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), India is obligated to notify Pakistan of potential cross-border flooding.

However, the treaty was unilaterally revoked by India in April, following a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people, mostly Indian tourists.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reports that at least 799 people have died in rain-related incidents since June 26, with the north-western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa particularly hard-hit by torrential downpours.

Authorities warn that continued heavy rainfall could trigger further flooding in other provinces.

The United Nations has consistently ranked Pakistan, home to more than 240 million people, as one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries.

Climate-induced disasters kill hundreds and displace thousands across the country each year.