By: Ghulam Hussain Ghazi
The Swat tragedy was nothing short of an apocalypse. A large family from Daska, Punjab, had come to the valley to enjoy the delights of travel and tourism, but only a few returned, most in coffins. On the morning of Friday, June 27, 2025, the waves of the Swat River turned from gentle currents into a raging flood, bringing a message of death. The sudden flash flood wreaked havoc on the visiting family from Sialkot Division, claiming 14 lives out of the 18 members of their tourist caravan. It was one of the most heartbreaking incidents in the history of Swat tourism, which plunged not only the local community but the entire nation into mourning and left Swat deserted. Tourists packed their bags and left the valley. Within just three days, the tourism department suffered a loss worth millions, the hotel industry collapsed and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s tourism economy was dealt a severe blow.
However, the tragedy also revealed many facets, some dark, some bright. The most positive aspect was the prompt response of the local community and ruling party workers. Their loud outcry showed that their leadership had instilled in them a sense of humanitarianism and a moral compass that proved effective in real-time. On the other hand, the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa broke away from its past patterns of delay and indifference and instead gave an immediate, effective and humane response, one that is still ongoing. It also became clear as daylight that the KP government respects public pressure, while the Punjab government not only prevents people from raising their voices against injustice but also treats them like terrorists for dissent, and considers them nothing more than mere insects, treatsts them as disposable, using them merely as fuel for its political agenda.
Responding to public pressure, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah initiated high-level action. The announcement of financial compensation, two million rupees per victim, was not mere lip service; as of this writing, the compensation has been fully disbursed. Five senior officials at the district level were suspended initially, with more added later. An inquiry commission was established, and all relevant departments were instructed to submit immediate reports, not as a formality to be buried in files, but as foundational documents for FIRs and a more comprehensive investigation.
So far, several senior officials, including the Director General of Rescue 1122 KP, have appeared before the commission. No exemptions, no political interference and no compromises. This is the true face of a people-centric government, one that sees public pressure not as a threat but as a duty and a source of strength.
Conversely, the general apathy of the state and the negative role of the federal and Punjab governments cannot be ignored. Their response was the most disappointing. The victims were their own citizens, yet neither offered any expression of sympathy, financial assistance, nor participation in the rescue operations. To make matters worse, two federal and Punjab ministers immediately held a press conference, mocking the tragedy with smiling faces. They shamelessly criticized the KP government and tried to score political points by referencing a decades-old rescue involving Aleema Khan.
For context, Aleema Khan was rescued in July 2019 during a flood in Chitral along with 69 other people. The helicopters at the time didn’t rescue her alone, they evacuated patients, students and local residents, and on her request, relief supplies and medicines were also delivered to Chitral. But these unfortunate ministers, instead of telling the full truth, chose political banter and half-truths. In all honesty, this cold-heartedness and apathy by the federal government, supposedly the “mother of the nation”, raise serious questions. It clearly shows that the public is not their priority. If this attitude continues, the people’s bond with the state will weaken even further.
Now let’s draw a comparison and observe a glaring contrast. Around the same time as the Swat tragedy, the Sahiwal tragedy unfolded, a vivid example of Punjab’s chronic administrative failure. On social media, many rightly compared the two incidents. In Sahiwal, due to the absence of oxygen cylinders and gross negligence, 20 newborns died in a government hospital within days. The Swat tragedy was a natural disaster, but the Sahiwal incident was purely the result of human incompetence. The claims of a “healthcare revolution” by Maryam Nawaz were laid bare and the federal media’s silence also raised many questions.
Undoubtedly, the Swat tragedy claimed many lives and broke countless hearts but it also sparked a new debate: What is the real duty of a government? The KP governments, with its timely and effective actions, set a new precedent, even its critics had to acknowledge this. The Chief Secretary’s deployment of drones, provision of life jackets and rescue kits, and the swift administrative response demonstrated that if intentions are pure and leadership is honest, even the greatest disasters can be managed. Even on the day of Ashura, the Chief Secretary also gave the people the good news that the MI-17 helicopter has been converted into an Air Ambulance. In other words, the provincial govt is now fully prepared and equipped to deal with any disaster within a fraction of the time. The result is clear. There’s a stark difference between a government elected by the people and one rejected by them. Opportunistic regimes are obsessed with point scoring, while people-oriented governments win hearts through action. The Swat tragedy made this distinction even clearer.
Thanks to these timely steps, there’s hope that future natural disasters will be met with organized and immediate strategies to prevent the loss of human lives. However, these untimely flash floods have also brought the issue of climate change to the forefront, and Swat has now been declared as one of the most high-risk zones for flood devastation. Whether or not the federal government is concerned about this, the provincial government has entrusted the Department of Environment and PDMA (Provincial Disaster Management Authority) with the task of tackling the challenges of climate change.
However, an immediate observation has already emerged: when the Swat administration began removing illegal encroachments and demolishing hotels along riverbanks, the federal government became an obstacle. A federal minister took direct action and threatened the administration when the wall of his own riverside hotel was being demolished, thereby attempting to undermine the provincial government’s operations. Not only did he intervene himself, but he also guided other hotel owners to obtain stay orders from the courts, effectively stalling the anti-encroachment campaign along the rivers. A similar resistance was also reported in Dera Ismail Khan, where workers of the ruling federal party opposed the removal of encroachments along the banks of the Indus River.
However, full credit goes to the Chief Minister, who stood firm in his resolve and gave strict instructions to continue the anti-encroachment drive without leniency. He even formed a panel comprising ministers and bureaucrats to oversee the campaign.
In the latest development, the Peshawar High Court has declared the Swat tragedy a result of gross negligence. The court has ordered the inquiry commission to complete its investigation within seven days and to take disciplinary action against the negligent officials within the following two weeks. Moreover, it has directed that all encroachments along the Swat River—and all other rivers—be removed immediately.
This strong judicial action is being seen as a milestone in holding officials accountable and ensuring the protection of precious lives in the future. It also serves as an endorsement of the Chief Minister’s initiatives.
