‘Start my life from zero’: Poor Pakistanis face heavy cost of floods

A family wades through a flood hit area following heavy monsoon rains in Charsadda district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, on August 29, 2022. (AFP)
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Updated 06 September 2022
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‘Start my life from zero’: Poor Pakistanis face heavy cost of floods

  • About 2 million acres of crops have been spoiled by flooding in Pakistan
  • Many of those hit by flooding said they had not been given adequate warning

CHARSADDA: When the swollen Swat River shifted course in late August and roared into Naeem Ullah’s village in northwest Pakistan, it swept away his home and all 13 of his relatives’ houses too.

His sugarcane crop — planted on five hectares (12.4 acres) of leased land — also was wrecked, leaving the 40-year-old jobless, homeless and with few prospects of repaying the money he had borrowed to buy seed and fertilizer.

“I have to start my life from zero,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in his village of Dagi Mukarram Khan, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. “I have lost everything. I can only pray to Allah to give me the strength to face this biggest challenge of my life.”

Floodwaters, driven by months of relentless rain and by extreme spring heat that accelerated the melting of glaciers, have covered a third of Pakistan, an area larger than England and Wales combined, affecting 33 million people.

More than 1,300 people have died, according to Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority, and the cost of the damage is estimated at $10 billion, with 1.6 million homes lost or damaged, 5,000 km (3,100 miles) of roads destroyed and over 700,000 livestock gone.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is scheduled to travel to hard-hit areas of the country this week to see the devastation from what he has termed “a monsoon on steroids.”

Across Pakistan, millions of families have lost their homes and belongings, crops, animals and even relatives, with many struggling just to find dry patches of land to erect tarpaulin shelters and keep themselves and their remaining livestock safe.

Key roads and bridges have been washed away, hampering aid efforts and forcing authorities in some places to deliver limited emergency help mainly by costly helicopter.

In Awaran district, in hard-hit southwest Balochistan province, floods in some areas still stretch toward the horizon, having destroyed many of the impoverished province’s mud homes.

Dilshad Baluch’s family saw their house washed away and a neighbor killed when his home collapsed, as floods swamped their village in July.

Downed power cables presented an electrocution threat amid the standing water, he said — and with bridges to Karachi impassable, the area’s major supply route remains cut off.

Helicopters have dropped parcels of rice and beans but “it’s far too little” and villagers cannot cook it without kitchens or dry firewood, Baluch said via a patchy telephone line interrupted by the wail of the village call to prayer.

“We are living on open ground,” noted the 21-year-old university student, home for the summer from his studies in Islamabad.

Many residents are angry, he added, “but most of them are just feeling helpless. There is no one to take care of them, and no one cares about them.”

HELP ARRIVING?

With Pakistan saddled by heavy debt and international humanitarian agencies overwhelmed by global demand for assistance, Pakistan’s families may have to fund much of the cost of recovery themselves.

Under existing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial policy, farmers can receive compensation of 5,000 rupees ($23) per acre for damage to crops and orchards, with each family eligible for a maximum of 50,000 rupees, said Taimur Ali, media coordinator for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Disaster Management Authority.

That could potentially be raised after a fuller assessment of the damage, he added.

The provincial government also has announced it will provide up to $1,370 in compensation for each damaged home, and has distributed 1.75 billion rupees ($7.9 million) for rescue and relief efforts since the start of July, he said.

The International Monetary Fund last week agreed to release $1.1 billion in funding for cash-strapped Pakistan, with politicians saying the money would help keep the inflation-racked economy afloat.

But farmers, especially, are not sure the support on offer will be enough, as some say their fields have been devastated and the land will need to be restored before planting again.

Sher Alam, 47, of Mera Khel Sholgara village on the outskirts of Charsadda city, lost his sugarcane crop after heavy floods swept his land on Aug. 26.

He has already borrowed $450 to repay the lender who provided the seeds and fertilizer for this year’s ruined crop and is now seeking another $230 loan to pay for help to restore his farmland — something he will have to do in his spare time.

Alam, who has five children, said he had found a job at a private parking lot in Charsadda to make ends meet.

With his flattened crop now good only for animal feed rather than the lucrative sugar he expected, “I don’t know how I can survive,” he said, sitting under a tree in front of his home.

The United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has said that about 2 million acres of crops have been spoiled by flooding in Pakistan, which could not only affect the economy but also put food security at risk.

Baluch, from Balochistan, said the crop and livestock losses were a huge worry for his community and the country.

“This is not only putting in danger people’s lives, it is putting in danger even their future,” he said.

As the price of remaining scarce supplies of fruit, vegetables and meat soar, the poorest in particular are struggling, he said.

“There are some people who have savings but most of the population, particularly in Balochistan... survive on daily work. But the work is affected by the floods, so they are not getting paid. They are suffering drastically,” the student said.

Floods also have contaminated most of the wells communities in his area rely on, he said, threatening a health disaster.

“People will be suffering, and too many people are going to die,” he predicted.

EARLY WARNING

Many of those hit by flooding said they had not been given adequate warning — or that repeated alerts over months of soaking rain had dampened their will to act.

Alam said his village had received no formal government notice of the late August flooding, but nearby villages had passed on a warning they received.

That, combined with social media alerts residents were seeing on their phones, gave his community about three hours to move some of their livestock and goods to safety, he said.

Ali, of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Disaster Management Authority, said flood monitors had been installed on five rivers and at two other locations in the province, which had helped provide early warning.

In response, as many as 180,000 people were relocated from the Charsadda region, he said.

Losses from this year’s floods are expected to be less in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa than during the devastating 2010 floods, in part because of lessons from the earlier disaster, he said.

Now, “we prepare winter and monsoon contingency plans every year and allocate funds to every district to cope with any disaster,” he explained.


Pakistan establishes ‘challenge fund’ for climate-resilient infrastructure

Updated 5 sec ago
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Pakistan establishes ‘challenge fund’ for climate-resilient infrastructure

  • The South Asian country has seen erratic changes in its weather patterns which have led to frequent heat waves, untimely rains, cyclones and droughts in recent years
  • Pakistan has since launched various initiatives to build resilience against climate change, including the launch of a satellite this month to predict natural disasters

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s climate change ministry has established a “challenge fund” for climate-resilient infrastructure in the country, Pakistani state media reported on Wednesday.
A challenge fund is a competitive funding mechanism that allocates resources to projects that address social or environmental challenges. Designed to encourage innovation and collaboration, these funds can be used to support small businesses, public sector and, other organizations.
The “Challenge Fund for Climate Resilient Infrastructure” would be funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and jointly implemented by GIZ Pakistan, a German organization working on sustainable development projects, and Adam Smith International (ASI) global advisory firm.
Pakistani officials say the initiative is designed to reinforce Pakistan’s adaptive capacity in the face of increasing climate challenges, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“This initiative aims to bolster the country’s infrastructure resilience against the impacts of climate change and support the construction of sustainable and adaptive infrastructure across vulnerable regions,” Aisha Humera Moriani, secretary of the Pakistani climate change ministry, was quoted as saying.
Pakistan has seen erratic changes in its weather patterns which have led to frequent heat waves, untimely rains, cyclones and droughts in recent years. Scientists have blamed the events on human-driven climate change.
In 2022, devastating floods, blamed on human-driven climate change, killed more than 1,700 Pakistanis, affected another 33 million and caused the country over $30 billion in economic losses.
The South Asian country has since launched various initiatives to build resilience against climate change, including the launch of a satellite this month to help predict natural disasters and monitor resources.
Romina Khurshid Alam, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coordinator on climate change, said the fund’s launch marked a “significant milestone” in the government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen Pakistan’s capacity to adapt to climate change.
“This innovative fund will empower provinces and local governments to develop and implement innovative infrastructure projects that are not only climate-resilient, but also contribute to sustainable development goals and the well-being of local communities,” she said.


Pakistan, Saudi Arabia resolve to further strengthen economic ties

Updated 23 January 2025
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Pakistan, Saudi Arabia resolve to further strengthen economic ties

  • Finance Minister Mohammad Aurangzeb briefed his Saudi counterpart on Pakistan’s economic reforms on World Economic Forum sidelines
  • Both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are close regional partners and allies, and signed 34 agreements worth $2.8 billion in Oct. last year

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb held a meeting with his Saudi counterpart Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan in Davos, wherein the two figures agreed to further strengthen economic ties between the two countries, Pakistani state media reported on Thursday.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) summit which is being held on Jan. 20-24 under the theme, ‘Collaboration for the Intelligent Age’.
Aurangzeb briefed his Saudi counterpart on structural reforms, fiscal discipline and regulatory improvements that had contributed to improved investment climate in Pakistan, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“Both the sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the economic and financial ties between the two countries for shared prosperity,” the report read.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are close regional partners and economic allies, and both countries signed 34 agreements worth $2.8 billion in October last year. The Kingdom is home to over 2.7 million Pakistani expatriates, serving as the top destination for remittances for the cash-strapped South Asian country.
On Tuesday, Aurangzeb also met Saudi National Bank Chairman Saeed bin Mohammed Al-Ghamdi in Davos and discussed with him banking sector partnerships between the two countries, Pakistan’s finance ministry said.
“The two leaders discussed potential financial cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, particularly focusing on strengthening partnerships in the banking sector,” the finance ministry said in a statement.
The Saudi Export-Import Bank and Pakistan’s Bank Alfalah have also signed a $15 million financing agreement on the WEF sidelines, strengthening access to Pakistani markets and boosting trade and economic ties.


Pakistan joins global shipping line connecting it directly to Europe amid efforts to boost trade

Updated 44 min 44 sec ago
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Pakistan joins global shipping line connecting it directly to Europe amid efforts to boost trade

  • The INX weekly shipping service will begin its operations from Karachi on February 5
  • The service will streamline logistics, enhance connectivity and drive economic growth

ISLAMABAD: South Korean shipping company, HMM, on Wednesday launched the India North Europe Express (INX) weekly shipping service in Pakistan, providing the South Asian country direct access to Europe.
The service, launched in collaboration with Ocean Network Express (ONE) container liner and Pakistan’s United Marine Agencies (UMA), will ensure timely and efficient delivery of Pakistani goods to the destined European ports and beyond, according to HMM.
The development comes amid Pakistan’s efforts to boost trade and seek international partnerships to expand its maritime activities, according to Pakistani officials. The initiative will streamline logistics, enhance connectivity, and drive economic growth in the region.
“Our country has abundance of marine, fisheries, mineral and energy resources that can generate additional revenues,” said Vice Admiral Faisal Abbasi, Pakistan Navy commander in Karachi, noting that Pakistan was located at the crossroads of three geographical locations: the gateway to Central Asia, Southwest Asia and the Arabian Gulf.
He said the sea lines of communication (SLOCs) allow nations to stretch beyond their land borders, facilitating access to and exchange of raw materials and trade goods.
“Today, as much as 75 percent of international trade takes place over water and same is expected to continue growing in foreseeable future,” Vice Admiral Abbasi added.
The service, which was launched at a ceremony in the port city of Karachi, will begin operations on Feb. 5. It will directly link western India to northern Europe, according to HMM. The maiden voyage will begin from Karachi under the port rotation: Karachi–Hazira–Mundra–Nhava Sheva–Colombo–London Gateway–Rotterdam–Hamburg–Antwerp–Karachi.
“The INX service promises a robust, direct maritime connection from Western India to Northern Europe, turning around in just 11 weeks with a fleet of 6,000 TEU container ships,” said Sohail Shams, CEO of the United Marine Agencies (UMA), the HMM agent in Pakistan.
“This development not only diversifies maritime service portfolio in the region but also amplifies opportunities for regional trade and global transshipment through this strategic hub.”
He said UMA is dedicated to providing outstanding shipping services and plays a crucial role in strengthening Pakistan’s maritime trade through its representation of leading global shipping lines and handling of cargo to destinations worldwide.
“This service signifies more than just a route, it represents progress, innovation, and the shared commitment of our global partners to simplify and enhance international trade,” Sohail said. “This strategic network underscores the significance of Karachi as a vital trade hub and gateway to global markets.”
Yang Jungmo, a top HMM official for Southwest Asia, also addressed attendees at Wednesday’s launch, highlighting the significance of the INX service for global trade and emphasizing the company’s commitment to offering reliable and efficient shipping solutions.
Earlier this month, Dubai-based logistics giant DP World, in collaboration with Pakistan’s National Logistics Corporation, launched a feeder service to transport shipping containers from Dubai to Karachi, Pakistani state media reported. Pakistani officials and DP World have also finalized terms for a freight corridor project from Karachi Port to the Pipri Marshalling yard in southern Pakistan.
Pakistan is currently on a tricky path to economic recovery since avoiding a default in June 2023. The South Asian country last year secured a new $7 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and has been actively pursuing trade and investment opportunities to put the economy back on track.


In southern Pakistan, septuagenarian artist fights to keep century-old ‘Matka Dance’ alive

Updated 23 January 2025
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In southern Pakistan, septuagenarian artist fights to keep century-old ‘Matka Dance’ alive

  • Traditional “Matka Dance” involves dancing while balancing earthen pot, attached to a pole, above one’s head
  • Performing arts expert urges provincial government to support traditional dance, warns it may become extinct

KARACHI: Sain Dad, 73, expertly balances a round earthen pot, also known as a “matka” in the local language, four feet high above his head attached to a metal rod. Dad dances to the beat of the drums, using his hands not once to steady the rod as he performs a century-old art only a handful of people in southern Pakistan can perform.
The “Matka Dance” is a traditional folk dance performed in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province which involves expertly balancing an earthen pot above your head. The trick is to not use your hands as you dance while balancing the rod atop your head.
While the exact origin of the matka dance remains unknown, Dad traces its lineage back to Saleh Muhammad Shah, one of Sindh’s earliest known practitioners. Over a century ago, Dad says Shah pioneered the technique of lifting the earthen pitcher using a bamboo stick.
The skill was passed down through generations, until Mehrab Dad, Sain Dad’s father, ultimately taught his son the dance when he was 13 years old. It has been 60 years since then and Dad continues to keep the legacy alive.
“You cannot hold it and then have to control your neck,” Dad told Arab News, demonstrating how to execute the dance. “It is practice. It takes almost ten years to learn this.”


In six decades, Dad has graced various stages across 18 countries, even performing before the late Princess Diana during his tour of the United Kingdom in 1995.
While he is proud of the craft, it is a dying one and Dad lives an impoverished life in Khuda Bux Goth, a Karachi suburb, in a shanty house that only has a mat for a roof.
Apart from him, Dad says only his two sons and two students can perform the matka dance in Sindh. 
Sheema Kermani, a renowned classical dancer and performing arts expert, said the matka dance is a “dance of joy and celebration” that was traditionally performed before nomadic communities left one area for another.
“All these folk dancings are rooted in people’s lives, in their work, in the kind of labor that they do,” Kermani explained. 


She lamented the lack of government support for the craft, saying that the art form would die unless it received support from authorities.
“You see these people who are still practicing, they are the ones, they need to be supported,” Kermani told Arab News. “This is our heritage. This is the beauty of this culture.”
‘WEALTH OF RESPECT’
Muhammad Saleem Solangi, deputy director of culture in Sindh government, says his department actively promotes traditional artists by sending them overseas to perform at international festivals.
“I personally had our legendary artist, Sain Dad sahib, recommended for the Presidential Award in Islamabad,” Solangi told Arab News, adding that artists receive “substantial remuneration” for their performances at festivals.
“The department, within its limited resources, also provides him with an annual stipend,” he said. “In times of illness or financial crisis, they continue to support him, and they also look after his children.”

The picture taken on January 21, 2025, shows presidential award certificate granted to Sain Dad in Karachi, Pakistan. (AN photo)
The picture taken on January 21, 2025, shows presidential medal awarded to Sain Dad in Karachi, Pakistan. (AN photo)

Dad’s 30-year-old son Muhammad Iqbal is a skilled drummer who accompanies his father and brothers to their performances. He says they typically perform three to four times a month, and during peak seasons, even six. Their earnings range up to Rs 30,000 [$107.66] per performance, which they divide among themselves.
“Whenever there is an exhibition or a wedding program, or a mehndi event, we perform in these programs,” Iqbal said.
But earnings hardly matter for Dad, who says the respect he enjoys from performing means the world to him.
“We may not have wealth in terms of money, but the wealth of respect is immense,” he said.
While the art form may be a dying one, Dad is already teaching his 15-year-old grandson how to balance a water bottle on his head.
And so far, Mehtab Ali is determined to master the matka dance.
“Just like my grandfather and uncle lift the pitcher, I will also, God willing, be able to lift it in four months,” Ali said.


Pakistan minister tables amendments lowering jail term for spreading ‘fake’ information to 3 years

Updated 22 January 2025
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Pakistan minister tables amendments lowering jail term for spreading ‘fake’ information to 3 years

  • Changes to contentious cybercrime law says fake news disseminator could be fined up to Rs2 million [$7,177]
  • Amendments propose creation of social media authority with powers to block content on online platforms

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Wednesday tabled amendments to a contentious cybercrime law in parliament, lowering the punishment for spreading “fake information” online to three years, according to a draft of the document. 
Pakistan’s state minister for information technology, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, last month confirmed the government was reviewing amendments to the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016. Passed in 2016 by the then government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, the law was originally enacted to combat various forms of cybercrime, including cyber terrorism, unauthorized access, electronic fraud and online harassment, but it has variously been used to crack down on journalists, bloggers and other critics of the state.
The amendments proposed up to five-year imprisonment or fine extending to Rs1 million ($3,588) or both for anyone who “intentionally” posts false information online to create “a sense of fear, panic or disorder or unrest.”
“Whoever intentionally disseminates, publicly exhibits or transmits any information through any information system , that he knows or has reason to believe or has reason to believe to be false or fake and likely to cause or create a sense of fear, panic or disorder or unrest in general public or society shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend up to three years or with fine which may extend to two million rupees or with both,” Section 26A of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill, 2025 states.
The amendments also propose establishing a “Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority,” which would perform several functions related to social media such as education, awareness, training, regulation, enlistment, blocking and more.
It said that anyone “aggrieved by fake and false information” would be able to approach the authority to remove or block access to the content in question, adding that the authority would issue orders no later than 24 hours on the request.
“Any person aggrieved by fake or false information may apply to the Authority for removal or blocking of access to such information, and the Authority shall, on receipt of such application, not later than twenty-four hours, pass such orders as it considers necessary including an order for removal or blocking access to such information,” a copy of the amendment bill states. 
The draft stated that authority would have the power to issue directions to a social media platform to remove or block online content if it was against the “ideology of Pakistan,” incited the public to violate the law, take the law in their own hands with a view to coerce, intimidate or “terrorize” public, individuals, groups, communities, government officials and institutions. 
The authority will also have the power to issue directions to the social media platform if the online content incited the public or section of the public to cause damage to governmental or private property; coerced or intimidated the public or section of the public and thereby prevented them from carrying on their lawful trade and disrupted civic life, the draft said.
Pakistan’s digital rights experts have recently pointed to the government’s restrictions on the Internet, which include a ban on social media platform X since February 2024 and on the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) as moves to curtail freedom of speech and voices of dissent. 
The government rejects these allegations and has repeatedly said it is enacting laws to battle fake news on social media platforms.