WEBDESK: Swat has witnessed a devastating tragedy after sudden flash floods claimed several lives and left families in grief. Locals, civil society members, and political figures gathered in large numbers for a powerful Swat protest along the banks of the Swat River, demanding answers and accountability from the government.
Resign or face countrywide protest: protesters at Swat River warn KP CM
The protestors voiced their frustration, saying they were unable to save those stranded in the river due to the absence of proper emergency services. They declared that if the district administration and the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa did not resign, a countrywide protest movement would soon follow.
The Swat protest came after a group of 18 people was swept away by a sudden flash flood near Ji Qurban Hotel on the Swat Bypass. While rescue teams managed to save three individuals and recover six bodies, nine remain missing. The tragedy has exposed severe gaps in the province’s flood management and emergency response.
Renowned journalist Mansoor Ali Khan also strongly criticised the KP government during this Swat protest. He questioned why helicopters used regularly by political leaders for personal travel were not deployed to rescue innocent people fighting for their lives in the river. “Every monsoon season, Swat River rises and takes lives, and yet you sit comfortably with no arrangements made this is criminal negligence,” he remarked.
منصور علی خان نے تبدیلی سرکار کی 12 سالہ حکومتی اور انتظامی کارکردگی کو ادھیڑ کے رکھ دیا. pic.twitter.com/RCIczuJRKG
— 𝐁𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐫 🇵🇰 (@Bepeer999) June 27, 2025
Mansoor further pointed out how political rallies and processions are organised in Swat within minutes, but emergency services fail to arrive when the public faces danger. “When it comes to holding your rallies, you reach Swat in no time. But for flood victims, you’ve done nothing in over a decade,” he said during the Swat protest.
The provincial government has since ordered the immediate closure of all hotels, restaurants, and commercial activities along the riverbanks to prevent further loss of life. Army units and Rescue 1122 teams have also been dispatched to assist with ongoing operations. However, public anger remains high, and the Swat protest has become a symbol of growing dissatisfaction with the KP government’s crisis management.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s 12-year rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has come under severe public criticism as their failures stand exposed. In the wake of the recent Swat River tragedy, angry citizens took to the streets, raising slogans against the government and openly expressing their frustration.
Protesters condemned the government’s negligence, lack of emergency services, and poor crisis management.
