RECENT photos and videos of the Attabad Lake in Gilgit-Baltistan seem to show that the size of the water body has shrunken considerably.

But the phenomenon at play here is not a drying-up of the lake, rather heavy silt and sedimentation encroaching on the lake bed, according to an iVerify fact check published on Friday.

Known as GB’s “crown jewel” and a major tourist attraction, the lake was formed after the Attabad village in the Gojal Valley witnessed a major landslide on January 4, 2010.

Recent visuals of the lake have had netizens talking, showing large parts of its once-turquoise waters replaced by dry, exposed land.

Many raised concerns over a “visible decline in water levels”, linking it to environmental degradation, while other argued that the apparent drying was a usual phenomenon.

Jamil Nagri, Dawn’s correspondent in Gilgit, confirmed the authenticity of the visuals circulating on social media.

But the size of the lake, which is not a natural water body, rather a landslide-dammed reservoir, is susceptible to influence from factors such as inf­lows from multiple sources and outflow management thro­ugh spillways constructed to reduce pressure on the natural dam.

According to a 2024 research paper authored by personnel from the China Geological Surv­­ey, a gradual reduction in the lake’s surface area had been ob­­served between 2010 and 2020.

According to the authors of the story, titled Changes in the Hydrological Characteristics of the Attabad Landslide-Dammed Lake on the Karakoram Highway, sediment accumulated in the lake’s upstream northern estuary as the water body evolved over time, increasing the extent of exposed sediment deposits and altering the surrounding landscape.

“Because of its proximity to the source of the Hunza River, the lake experiences rapid silting. Over time, this natural se­­dimentation gradually shrinks the active water area and alters the surrounding landscape,” the paper noted.

The study observed that chan­­ges in the lake became less pronounced after 2016, suggesting that the water body was moving towards a more stable state.

“The lake has not dried up; instead, it is shrinking due to high levels of silt in the lake, which is a natural phenomenon,” a GB-based climate expert said. He explained that there was siltation in the summer from tributaries, which made it look like the lake was drying up.

This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan — a project of CEJ and UNDP

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2026

GILGIT: The people of Gilgit-Baltistan will vote in the general elections for the GB Legislative Assembly on Sunday after the polls were delayed by four months due to harsh winter weather.

The PPP and other political parties have staged a series of rallies across the region and ramped up efforts to garner support ahead of the polls.

All arrangements have been finalised, with elections to be contested in 24 constituencies. According to the GB Election Commission, there are 958,480 registered voters in the region, including 503,772 male and 454,708 female voters.

A total of 396 candidates are contesting the elections, with 266 running as independents. Only eight women are contesting the elections, five of them as independent candidates.

Meanwhile, 23 candidates from the PPP are contesting the elections, while the PML-N has fielded 22 candidates. Both parties have nominated one female candidate each. Additionally, 15 candidates from the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) and 10 from the PTI are in the fray.

Moreover, 10 candidates are contesting on the tickets of the Pakistan Nazaryati Party, while nine belong to the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), seven to the Majlis-i-Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM), and six each to the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). Four candidates are representing the Awami Workers Party (AWP), while one candidate each from the Awami National Party (ANP), Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) and the PML-Q is also in the race

The polling will run from 8am to 5pm on Sunday.

GB Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz Khan has issued a notification delegating the powers of a first-class magistrate to all district returning officers and returning officers to ensure the peaceful, transparent and lawful conduct of the elections.

According to the notification, Khan said that the strict implementation of election laws, adherence to the election code of conduct and transparency in the electoral process would be ensured at all costs so that free, fair and impartial elections could be held while upholding the trust of the people.

In a statement, GB Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ghulam Abbas appealed to the people to actively participate in the electoral process and exercise their right to vote, saying that the vote is the voice of every citizen, the foundation of the democratic system and a national duty.

He said that elections are an important pillar of any democratic society and that active participation of the people is key to strengthening democratic traditions.

The caretaker minister added that the people of GB have always shown maturity and responsibility in national affairs, and expressed hope that they would turn up at polling stations in large numbers on election day.

He emphasised that every vote matters and plays a key role in the development, prosperity and future of the region. He urged the people to rise above any pressure, fear or bias and exercise their vote according to their free will.

Abbas further said that all relevant institutions were fulfilling their responsibilities to ensure peaceful, transparent and fair elections, urging the people to abide by the election code of conduct, cooperate with law enforcement agencies and play their positive role in making the democratic process successful.

He said that for a strong, stable and developed Gilgit-Baltistan, it was essential that every eligible voter exercise their right to vote and contribute to the further strengthening of the democratic process.

SWAT: An ice drug addict killed his wife in the Balasor Chuprial area of Swat on Saturday, residents said.

They said that the suspect had a history of drug addiction and had reportedly been arrested and jailed multiple times in narcotics-related cases. On the day of the incident, the woman was reportedly on her way to seek medical treatment. Her 17-year-old son had given her money for the treatment expenses, they said.

The residents alleged that when the woman reached near a graveyard, her husband attempted to take the money from her. When she refused, insisting that the money was needed for her treatment, the suspect allegedly attacked and killed her before fleeing with the cash.

The couple’s three-year-old daughter was also present at the scene.

According to a resident who was among the first to arrive after hearing the child crying, the young girl was found sitting beside her mother’s body, clutching her mother’s shoes and crying inconsolably.

The witness said he carried the child home, but throughout the journey she refused to let go of her mother’s slippers.

Community members said the tragedy should serve as a wake-up call for society and authorities regarding the growing menace of drug abuse. They warned that unless effective measures were taken to curb the spread of ice drug and other narcotics, even more devastating incidents could occur in the future.

The residents urged law enforcement agencies to intensify efforts against drug trafficking and addiction.

The Matta police registered a case against the suspected killer and started a search for him.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2026

ISLAMABAD: Days before the announcement of the budget, the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) has affirmed that poultry feed manufacturers and poultry farmers were not liable to pay additional tax under Section 3(1A) of the Sales Tax Act, 1990.

A two-judge FCC bench, headed by Justice Aamer Farooq and also including Justice Muhammad Karim Khan Agha, set aside a Dec 24, 2025, Lahore High Court (LHC) judgement and ruled that imposing a 4 per cent tax on supplies made to non-registered entities would be unjust and against the sales tax regime.

The bench had taken up a set of appeals moved by Shahzor Feeds (Pvt) Ltd, Lahore Feeds Ltd and S.S. Feed Mills Pvt Ltd.

The petitioners were aggrieved by an order of the Commissioner (Inland) Revenue, LTU, Lahore, issued on Sept 11, 2024, whereby it was held that manufacturers of poultry feed supplying products to farmers were liable to pay an additional tax under section 3(1A) of the 1990 Sales Tax Act since recipients of the supply were not registered.

Court overturns LHC ruling that manufacturers must pay 4pc tax on sales to unregistered entities

For redress of the grievance, the petitioners approached the Lahore High Court, which dismissed their appeal.

Advocate Saad Mumtaz Hashmi, who represented the petitioners at the FCC, contended that his clients fell into two categories: (i) manufacturer of poultry feed and (ii) poultry farmers.

Saad Hashmi contended the latter category was exempted from payment of tax under ITO by virtue of section 13, read with Serial Nos 40 and 48 in Table-II of the Sixth Schedule to the act.

It is an admitted position, the FCC said, that poultry industry has not been exempted from payment of additional tax by the federal government, though the court was informed that different notifications have been issued by the government from time to time.

Since a plain reading of Section 3(1A) of ITO was leading to an anomaly, the judgement said, the court decided to look into the mischief that was sought to be cured by the legislature to encourage and promote registration with the sales tax authority to become active taxpayers.

The law does not require the exempted person from registration of the sales tax. Therefore, the petitioners who are poultry farmers, are not required to be registered, but to make poultry feed manufacturers liable to payment of further tax (which eventually would be passed to poultry farmers), would not only be unjust but also against the system of payment of sales tax under the Act.

Synchronising the provisions including sections 3(1A), 13, 14 and 2(41) of ITO, it would only be fair to come to the conclusion that in the present case, poultry farmers are exempted from payment of sale tax on account of exemption under the law. They are not required to be registered, the judgement said.

“Since the requirement of non-registration is mandated by law (section 14 of the Act), no penal consequences would fall upon either of the categories of petitioners before us by way of payment of additional tax.”

Precedent

In somewhat similar circumstances, the FCC recalled, the LHC had ruled in favour of taxpayers in 2021. The LHC determined that Muhammad Arif Ice Factory was not liable to pay a further tax under section 3(1A) since they were ice manufacturers. Later the Supreme Court had upheld the judgement, the FCC bench said.

“In view of above position of law, the judgement impugned before us is not sustainable as it does not reflect the correct interpretation of law and the High Court erred in upholding the order passed by the tax authorities,” the FCC observed.

The FCC allowed the appeals and set aside the orders passed by the tax authorities.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2026

LAKKI MARWAT: At least eight policemen were injured when a group of terrorists ambushed a police team in the Darga Saheedan area within the jurisdiction of Khurrum Police Station in Karak district on Wednesday.

District Police Officer (DPO) spokesperson Shaukat Khan confirmed the attack and said it occurred when a joint team of local police and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) commandos was conducting a search-and-strike operation in the mountainous region.

Terrorists attacked the law enforcement personnel from a hilltop using sophisticated weapons, injuring eight policemen, the spokesperson said.

The official said the injured policemen were immediately shifted to a nearby hospital, where they were reported to be in stable condition and out of danger.

A police vehicle was also damaged in the attack, added the spokesperson.

“We have credible reports that several assailants were killed, and their accomplices injured in an intense exchange of fire,” he claimed.

After the attack, an additional police force led by DPO Imran Khan reached the venue and launched a search operation.

“A sanitisation operation is ongoing in the area to neutralise any other terrorists, if found,” the spokesperson added.

He said police had beefed up security and tightened checks at the entry and exit points of the district.

Last month, a police officer in Lakki Marwat’s remote Shadikhel area was martyred when terrorists attacked a police post.

In another incident last month, terrorists affiliated with Fitna-al-Khawarij planted an improvised explosive device at the house of Constable Tehsil Khan.

Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

Security forces killed 27 terrorists in operations conducted in the Miranshah area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district over the past 72 hours, the military’s media affairs wing said on Sunday.

“In continuation of a series of intelligence-based operations, security Forces engaged multiple khawarij locations in the general area Miranshah, North Waziristan District,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

It added that after “fierce exchanges of fire”, 27 terrorists belonging to “India-sponsored Fitna al Khawarij were sent to hell”.

Fitna al Khawarij is a term that the state uses for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

ISPR said weapons and ammunition were found in the possession of the slain terrorists, who remained “actively involved in numerous terrorist activities and target killing of innocent civilians”.

“By neutralising this group of killed khawarij, the heinous act of target killing of prominent figure Shaheed Malik Saifullah Dawar in Miranshah has been avenged, and perpetrators have been brought to justice,” the statement read.

It added that sanitisation operations were ongoing to eliminate holed up terrorists from these areas, “as a relentless counter-terrorism campaign under vision ‘Azm-i-Istehkam’ (as approved by Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) by security forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and -supported terrorism from the country”.

Meanwhile, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported that President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to security forces for successful operations in North Waziristan that resulted in the killing of 27 terrorists.

In their separate statements, they reaffirmed the national resolve to continue the war against terrorism till the menace was completely eradicated, the report said.          

Tribal elder Dawar’s killing outside his residence in early May had led to an intense gun battle between members of the Darpa Khel tribe and terrorists in Miranshah. Both sides reportedly used automatic weapons, and the firefight lasted for several hours.

Sources said that a day before the killing, suspected militants had allegedly occupied a local mosque, but Saifullah, along with other tribal elders, had intervened and forced them to vacate the premises.

On May 1, a large group of miscreants reportedly returned to the area, called Saifullah out of his house and opened fire on him, killing him on the spot, the sources had added.

On June 2, the district administration imposed Section 144 for an indefinite period in Miranshah subdivision of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan, restricting all movement and traffic amid security concerns.

The measure was widely seen as indicative of an intensification of counter-militancy operations in North Waziristan, with the administration taking extraordinary precautions to forestall any retaliatory action as the area continues to face militancy.

Before the imposition of Section 144, security forces were reported to have foiled a suicide attack by terrorists on a military post near Miranshah.

KHYBER: The Peshawar-Torkham Highway was reopened on Sunday following a temporary closure by Sultan Khel tribesmen protesting the handling of ‘targeted killings’ in their area by Zaka Khel elders and government authorities.

Two Sultan Khel residents were gunned down by unidentified assailants on Friday evening — in the same area where two policemen had been targeted over the last few months.

The fresh violence prompted Sultan Khel residents from the Zaka Khel tribe to block the Peshawar-Torkham Highway by staging a protest on Saturday. The road closure also temporarily suspended the repatriation of Afghan families via the Torkham border.

Murad Hussain, a leading figure among the protesters, told Dawn on Sunday that a negotiating committee comprising young Sultan Khel tribesmen was formed to hold talks with government functionaries to find ways to restore peace in the Landi Kotal tehsil, while also securing the main Peshawar-Torkham Highway from nighttime terrorist movement reported in the area.

The committee demanded that the local administration either completely ban pillion riding on the main road or allow it only for those who were officially registered with the traffic police and security forces.

The committee also agreed to end residents’ boycott of the polio vaccination drive, and stated that all government and private educational institutions would be reopened on Monday.

Sources among the protesters said that the majority of residents —mostly youngsters — were outraged as elders had not taken them into confidence while negotiating with government officials over putting an immediate end to targeted killings.

No date for negotiations between the concerned authorities and the newly formed committee was announced.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Wednesday predicted dust and windstorms, rain and thunderstorms across most parts of the country this week from June 11–13, and warned the relevant authorities to remain “vigilant”.

A press release issued by the PMD said a western disturbance is likely to approach the upper parts of the country on June 11 and persist until June 13. It added that moist currents from the Arabian Sea are also likely to penetrate the upper and central parts of the country from June 11.

Scattered dust and windstorms, and rain and thunderstorms — along with isolated heavy falls and hail — are expected in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Murree, Galliyat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Wazirabad, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Narowal, Sahiwal, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Nankana Sahib, Chiniot, Faisalabad, Okara, Kasur, Khushab, Sargodha, Noor Pur Thal, Bhakkar, Layyah, Mianwali, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan, Khanewal, Lodhran, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Rahim Yar Khan and Kot Addu from June 11–13, with occasional gaps.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, similar conditions are expected in Dir, Chitral, Swat, Kohistan, Malakand, Bajaur, Shangla, Battagram, Buner, Kohat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Mohmand, Khyber, Waziristan, Orakzai, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Peshawar, Mardan, Hangu and Kurram.

Scattered rain, wind and thunderstorms, with some hail, are also expected in Kashmir’s Neelum Valley, Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Poonch, Hattian, Bagh, Haveli, Sudhanoti, Kotli, Bhimber and Mirpur; and in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamer, Astore, Ghizer, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Ghanche and Shigar.

Dust and windstorms, and rain and thunderstorms, are expected in the northeastern parts of Balochistan, specifically Zhob, Sherani, Ziarat, Qilla Saifullah, Barkhan and Dera Bugti. Dust and windstorms are also expected in upper Sindh’s Sukkur, Larkana, Jacobabad, Khairpur, Dadu, Ghotki, Kashmore, Shikarpur and Shaheed Benazirabad.

The PMD warned that strong winds, hail and lightning may damage weak structures such as solar panels, electric poles and billboards. It also warned of urban flooding caused by heavy rains in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Lahore and Faisalabad.

Further, it said landslides may occur in vulnerable areas of upper KP, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir from June 11–13.

The statement advised farmers to manage their crops in line with prevailing weather conditions and urged tourists and travellers to exercise caution, advising them to avoid unnecessary travel during the forecast period.

“All concerned authorities are advised to remain ‘vigilant’ and take necessary measures to avoid any untoward situation during the forecast period,” it added.

In an advisory, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) of Punjab requested all district administrations and line departments to ensure sufficient round-the-clock staffing at District Emergency Operations Centres (DEOCs) for effective coordination, and to coordinate with the PDMA and other relevant departments to ensure a unified and prompt response.

Authorities have also been directed to deploy additional staff and resources to high-risk areas, and to ensure timely and accurate dissemination of safety information and evacuation plans via electronic and social media.

The PDMA also requested situation reports (SitReps) to regularly cover major developments, along with data collection and reporting for post-flood analysis and improvements.

The Motorway Police have been directed to ensure regular traffic advisories, timely updates on road conditions, and guidance on safe travel. Rescue 1122 has been directed to remain alert and pre-position search and rescue teams and necessary equipment.

MUZAFFARABAD: Activists and supporters of the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), who had dispersed from sit-in sites on the outskirts of Rawalakot after midnight, regrouped at two locations on Friday afternoon, drawing thousands of participants des­pite official claims that the protest campaign had collapsed.

Senior officials had claimed early on Friday that all three protest camps on the fringes of Rawalakot had been vacated after 12:30am amid expectations of a major operation by law enforcement agencies.

The largest gathering, comprising participants from Mirpur division and southern parts of Poonch division, had been camped at Eidgah Ground, around 3.5 kilometres from Rawalakot city, where the administration has imposed restrictions on entry from outside areas for several days.

Speaking to Dawn in the early hours of Friday, Poonch Divisional Comm­issioner Sardar Waheed Khan claimed that all protesters had dispersed, “unconditionally surrendering” before the state and “returning to their respective areas”.

He added that the development followed back-cha­nnel contacts with local JAAC leader Umar Nazir Kashmiri through two local figures, Javed Nisar of the Rawalakot Bar Asso­ciation and Javed Sha­rif of the Poonch District Council.

He said the intermediaries conveyed a message, urging Mr Kashmiri to call off the protest in the interest of participants’ safety.

The commissioner clai­med that Mr Kashmiri had sought the withdrawal of the notification proscribing JAAC and offered to end the sit-ins and surrender before local police if the demand was accepted.

Residents contacted by Dawn also confirmed that Eidgah Ground appeared deserted in the early hours of Friday, with only litter left behind by departing protesters.

Protesters return

However, people from nearby areas began ret­urning to the venue by noon and the gathering steadily swelled.

After Friday prayers, the crowd was estimated at between 5,000 and 6,000 people, including dozens of women and children. By evening, the number of participants had multiplied manifolds.

Similarly, around 3,000 people from Thorar, Mang and adjoining areas regrouped at the bus terminal in the afternoon, from where they had dispersed after midnight.

They were led by Sardar Arbab Advocate, a JAAC core member from Thorar.

Organisers at the site formed several committees to manage the gathering and vowed to continue the sit-in “for a long time”.

Official sources said that at the Eidgah gathering, JAAC core member Sardar Amaan of Sudhnoti had advised fellow activists against any direct confrontation with law enforcement personnel. The protesters, they said, were “divided over their next course of action, with options including marching towards the heavily fortified Rawalakot city, heading for Muzaffarabad, or continuing the sit-in at the existing venue”.

Addressing the Eidgah gathering in the evening, Mr Kashmiri vowed that the sit-in would continue and insisted that the call for a long march on Muzaffarabad had not been withdrawn.

Amid the standoff between the administration and JAAC, a shutdown strike observed on the committee’s call entered its fifth consecutive day across most parts of AJK, including the region’s capital, Muzaff­arabad, where markets remained largely closed. Some businesses opened briefly in the evening to cater to urgent consumer needs.

Public transport rema­ined suspended in most areas, while private vehicles continued to operate cautiously within and bet­ween cities. Inter-district and intra-district road links also remained open.

Meanwhile, official sources said the government had intensified measures against JAAC’s leadership by blocking the computerised national identity cards of all 31 core members and subsequently their passports.

There were also unconfirmed reports that some individuals in Mirpur had been detained for allegedly facilitating financial support to JAAC from the UK. Some local traders said to have donated generously to the organisation were also reportedly taken into custody.

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2026

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and local partners have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore the development of a maritime business district on prime Karachi Port Trust’s (KPT) waterfront land, the maritime affairs ministry said on Saturday.

In a statement, Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said the MoU was signed between KPT, Saudi Business Council–Najd Gateway Holding Company, Arif Habib Dolmen REIT Management Limited (AHDRML), and the Pakistan Corporate Consortium.

The proposed project would be built on a 140‑acre KPT site on Karachi’s MT Khan Road and is intended to transform the area into a major commercial and maritime hub, the minister said.

The development is envisaged to include modern commercial infrastructure aimed at attracting investment, generating employment, and supporting urban development, he added.

“This strategic collaboration is a transformative opportunity to unlock the full potential of KPT’s waterfront assets and position Pakistan as a regional hub for maritime commerce and investment,” Chaudhry was quoted as saying.

The minister affirmed that all regulatory and legal requirements under the Pakistani law would be met before the project proceeds.

Members of the Saudi delegation showed keen interest in broader cooperation in the maritime sector, including potential involvement in port infrastructure and related projects, he added.

The minister noted that the visit was part of wider efforts by Islamabad and Riyadh to deepen economic ties and explore investment opportunities in ports, logistics, infrastructure and trade facilitation.

“Subject to regulatory approvals, the development could become one of the largest waterfront commercial projects in the region,” the minister added.

In November last year, the ministry had invited proposals from the business community for the development of 140 acres of KPT land, proposing a joint venture model where the port acts as a strategic partner to establish an industrial park.

Chaudhry had also said the government planned to expand the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation’s (PNSC) fleet by 50 per cent. He said the PNSC’s target of 30 vessels, initially planned for three years, should now be achieved within a year.

MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore has said his government is making every effort to prevent the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) from taking to the streets again, stressing that the dispute over the 12 legislative assembly seats reserved for refugees from Indian-occupied Kashmir should be resolved through negotiations and political consensus.

Answering questions during an interview with a private TV channel, he asserted that his government had made sincere efforts to implement the agreement reached with the action committee following last year’s protest movement and had resolved almost all issues contained in its charter of demands.

“Almost all demands included in the charter of demands were fulfilled, except for one relating to the abolition of refugee seats, which subsequently became the central issue around which the movement was revived,” he said.

Referring to recent negotiations with JAAC, Rathore said: “We have had very productive discussions with members of the Action Committee. However, the issue of abolishing refugee seats is a constitutional matter that cannot be decided by a single political party alone. It requires a broad consensus among all stakeholders.”

Claims his government has made sincere efforts to implement agreement reached with the action committee

“We wanted the JAAC to extend its call for protest, but they declined, although they agreed to keep the door for negotiations open until June 7,” he added.

The AJK premier said the issue had also been discussed with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and reiterated that the government did not want the state to face another period of unrest.

“These people are our own. They certainly have the right to raise their concerns and it is our responsibility to listen to them and understand their point of view, and we are doing that,” he said.

Rathore said that decisions affecting the future of the state should be taken through representative institutions rather than through street agitation, adding that many JAAC members also favoured a negotiated settlement.

Referring to the refugee seats controversy, he said it was often argued that these were open to manipulation because the elections were conducted under the influence of provincial governments. He, however, said refugees had made significant sacrifices and played an important role in the state’s affairs and they could not be ignored under any circumstances.

“Regardless of political interests or affiliations, the interests of the state must come first.”

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2026

ISLAMABAD: Locals narrate harrowing details of putting out devastating forest fire believed to be human induced, in the ecologically sensitive Kotli Sattian region of Punjab. Caught in the middle of burning towering Pine trees, smoke, and immense heat was Fareha Yousaf and her family.

“The ground was so hot that I could feel my feet burn,” Ms Yousaf said.

Fareha Yousaf, her husband and two daughters along with their five to six staff members struggled to put out flames that had reached the small fence surrounding their house in Karore village in Kotli Sattian.

In the images and videos she shared, her two daughters and staff could be seen picking dry pine needle and shrubs, while others scooped water with plastic mugs from a bucket of water to douse the flames.

Fareha Yousaf said there was a burning sensation inside from inhaling smoke.

The fires that raged for two days decimated an estimated 3,326.4 hectares of natural forest tree cover across 27 locations in the protected and ecologically rich forest. Forest fire destroyed over 3,000 hectares in Kotli Sattian amid heat wave.

According to satellite data released by Suparco on Space4Climate.gov.pk, the analysis comparing imagery from May 9 to May 29 showed extensive damage in Chir pine forests. These forests play a key role in protecting sub-watersheds linked to the Indus and Jhelum river basins.

Forest Inspector, Forest Department Punjab, Mohammad Tufail told Dawn that flames reached a towering 100 feet fuelled by gusts of stormy winds.

“These are educated people, quite sensitised about risks and consequences of triggering forest fires. It’s lamentable that anyone would act so carelessly,” he said, explaining that in his area of jurisdiction, which was labeled, Forest 99, fires had not raged since 2016-17.

He complained about lack of proper firefighting equipment and manpower to overcome forest fires.

“We were less than a dozen forest staff members with brooms to put out flames that were engulfing Pine trees and dry shrubs fast,” he said.

According to Ministry of Climate Change, forest fire destroys over 3,000 hectares in Kotli Sattian amid heat wave. These forest fire events generally affect the breeding season of the birds, animals, regeneration loss of seedlings and saplings and colonisation of invasive fire tolerant grasses and shrubs.

Environmentalists warned that the ecological aftermath extended far beyond the immediate burn scars and that the disaster had severely disrupted the peak breeding season for local birds and wildlife, destroyed vital young seedlings and saplings, and opened the door for invasive, fire-tolerant grasses and shrubs to colonise the damaged terrain.

Mohammad Saleem, who is spokesperson for the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, told Dawn that the massive wildfire in Kotli Sattian was not an isolated environmental incident. It was a stark warning of a new climate reality confronting Pakistan.

“Forest fires are increasingly becoming the ‘new normal’ across the country as rising temperatures, prolonged dry spells, erratic rainfall patterns and recurrent heat waves create ideal conditions for ignition and rapid fire spread.”

He said scientific evidence was unequivocal.

“A recent study published in NPJ Climate and Atmospheric Science found that the climate crisis was intensifying extreme heat events across South Asia, with Pakistan emerging as one of the regional hotspots for increasingly synchronised and severe heat waves. These conditions substantially elevate wildfire risks by drying vegetation and reducing soil moisture. Likewise, a study published in Nature Communications has shown that global warming is expanding wildfire-prone areas and lengthening fire seasons worldwide.

According to the World Resources Institute, forest fires now burn more than twice as much tree cover globally as they did two decades ago, largely as a consequence of climate change.

He said the future of Pakistan’s forests would be determined not only by climate policies and firefighting equipment, but also by the awareness, vigilance and stewardship of the communities living closest to them.

“Local communities are the frontline protectors of our forests, and investing in their engagement, training and ownership is among the most effective defences against the growing threat of wildfires,” he added.

While local communities and forest department personnel have successfully contained the blaze in several areas, active fires continue to spread across neighbouring slopes, driven by strong, hot winds that threaten further environmental degradation.

According to locals, Kotli Sattian is being promoted by the local government as an upcoming tourist destination, with its pristine natural environment, breathtaking sceneries, the Bisa waterfall, and clear areas for camping.

Kotli Sattian is ecologically sensitive because the Murree-Kotli Sattian landscape was dominated by Chir pine forest, steep slopes and sub-watersheds linked with the Indus/Jhelum basin. Kotli Sattian forest area under Punjab Forest Department jurisdiction was about 27,653 acres.

Fareha Yousaf said she had never faced such a horrific experience where she feared her family would lose their home. “We are all so scared that even though the fire has been put out, the fear is not going away.”

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2026