ISLAMABAD: At least 30 people were killed and 38 injured in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province due to monsoon rains this week, KP’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said on Thursday.
The authority also warned residents of Nowshera and Charsadda, who live near rivers flowing through the two districts, to take necessary precautionary measures.
“118 houses partially while 15 were completely destroyed because of rains,” the PMDA said in a statement.
“Relief and rescue work is underway in flood and rain affected areas,” it added.
Monsoon rains have continued to lash different KP districts, including Buner, Shangla, Kohistan and Swat, said the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
Dozens of people have been killed across Pakistan in rains and floods since June this year.
According to the NDMA data released on Wednesday, 189 people were killed and 128 injured in rain-related incidents between June 15 and August 31.
The southern Sindh province has been the worst-hit where 72 people died during the same period. KP also lost 61 of its residents.
In a recent alert, the NDMA said that due to high water level in “Mangla Reservoir (1,242.00 feet) and Tarbela Dam (1.550 feet) along with expected rains over the upper catchments of all the major rivers,” discharge of surplus water from the two dams could become necessary.
It also urged “all relevant district administrations to sensitize the population residing near river banks along Chenab and Jhelum and take necessary precautionary measures.”
30 killed amid heavy rainfall in northwest Pakistan this week
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30 killed amid heavy rainfall in northwest Pakistan this week
- Relief and rescue work underway in flood and rain affected areas, says the PDMA
- Monsoon rains have continued to lash different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this week
Pakistan says defense pact with Saudi Arabia elevated brotherly ties to ‘new heights’
- Pakistan, Saudi Arabia signed strategic defense pact last year pledging aggression against one will be treated as attack on both
- Deputy PM Ishaq Dar says enduring bonds with Islamic and Arab nations form vital pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday that Pakistan’s defense pact with Saudi Arabia elevated its brotherly ties with the Kingdom to “new heights,” stressing that close ties with Arab and Islamic nations form a key pillar of Islamabad’s foreign policy.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement on Sept. 17 last year, pledging that aggression against one country would be treated as an attack on both, enhancing joint deterrence and formalizing decades of military and security cooperation.
Both nations agreed in October 2025 to launch an economic cooperation framework to strengthen trade and investment ties.
“In the Middle East, our landmark Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement with Saudi Arabia has elevated our brotherly ties to new heights,” Dar said while speaking at the Pakistan Governance Forum 2026 event in Islamabad.
The Pakistani deputy prime minister was speaking on the topic “Navigating International Relations Amidst Changing Geo-Politics.”
Dar noted that Pakistan has reinforced partnerships with other Middle Eastern nations such as the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Egypt and Bahrain. He said these partnerships have yielded “concrete agreements” in investment, agriculture, infrastructure, and energy sectors.
“Our enduring bonds with Islamic and Arab nations form a vital pillar of our foreign policy, and we will continue to expand our partnerships across Asia, Latin America, and Africa,” he said.
Dar pointed out that the presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have undertaken visits to Pakistan in recent months, reflecting Central Asian nations’ desire to boost cooperation with Islamabad.
On South Asia, the Pakistani deputy PM said Pakistan has successfully transformed its fraternal ties with Bangladesh into “a substantive partnership.”
“Similarly, the trilateral mechanism involving China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh has been launched with a view to expanding and deepening regional cooperation and synergy,” the Pakistani minister said.
He said Islamabad has strengthened its “all-weather” partnership with China via the second phase of the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor agreement and “unwavering support” from both sides for each other’s core interests.
Dar said Pakistan had also reinvigorated its partnership with the US, advancing cooperation in trade, technology, investment, and regional stability.
“This calibrated approach has enhanced our ability to navigate complexity with skill and confidence, ensuring that our national interests are served without compromising our core foreign policy principles,” he said.
