With its imposing institutions, vast administrative apparatus, and constantly growing infrastructure portfolio, Pakistan, a nation proud of its nuclear capability, can repel international threats, but it is sadly powerless to protect its own inhabitants from the wrath of rain. As cameras recorded and observers watched in helpless despair, a family in Swat lost eighteen innocent lives-including children, women, and elderly people, when they were swept away by a flash flood. Despite our boasts of freeways, satellites, and strategic depth, we were unable to offer them any kind of timely warning or rescue. When the state fails to defend the most vulnerable in their hour of greatest need, what good are provincial government, state authority, or national pride?
The peace of nature became monstrous on a rainy evening in Swat. An entire family, consisting of 19 souls, children, women, the elderly, and young people, were carried into the depths of death by a sudden and ruthless flash flood. The debris of their destroyed home floated like the final remnant of a life lost, and their cries were drowned in the thundering sea. Dozens more onlookers watched from a safe distance. Some people used their phones to record the horror. Others prayed in whispers. None could be of assistance. Nobody knew how. And nobody arrived on time. Such atrocity was not the first time it had happened in Pakistan. However, since no lesson is ever learnt, it always feels like the first time.
This situation is not new; in January 2022, a blizzard and total chaos turned Murree’s lovely snow into a white graveyard for almost 20 tourists who perished frozen in their cars. The terrible moments in Kalam, Swat, as lives and livelihoods were once more overwhelmed by flooding and rain. Each time Mother Nature let out her fury, the death toll rose along with our helplessness. The public’s complacency and the state’s apathy, however, are more startling than the wrath of nature. This most recent tragedy in Swat is a sobering reminder of both the severity of flash floods and the precariousness of life in a country with almost no disaster planning. Those innocent lives were lost due to a combination of factors, including the failure of early warning systems, the absence of civic planning, the lack of prompt rescue, and the failure of responsible governance at all levels.
We are living in a nation where natural calamities are no longer the exception. Climate change has turned capricious weather, glacial bursts, and unexpected torrents into a chilling new normal. But still our reaction is ad hoc, reactive, and shamefully insufficient. The concept of disaster preparedness is either absent from our institutional lexicon or is hidden away in bureaucratic red tape. There were no alarms, no emergency evacuation plans, no routes of access for rescue teams, and no training in disaster response among the Swat population. Families like the one that perished had no prior warning or even a faint idea of how to protect themselves. Homes built along water channels, makeshift constructions, and absence of proper drainage systems only magnify the risk. It was as if their fate had been written in water.
Where was the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) during this critical moment? Where were the Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs)? These questions reflect the urgent need to strengthen our institutional presence and capacity at the grassroots level. Despite recurring floods, community-level disaster training remains largely absent in high-risk zones, and enforcement of building codes continues to be inconsistent, allowing construction in vulnerable areas such as riverbanks and unstable slopes. Local governments often face systemic constraints and resource limitations, which delay proactive interventions.
Historically, disaster response mechanisms have learned more towards reactive measures than preventive strategies. Even in 2022, both NDMA and PDMA faced criticism for limited field-level visibility and weak coordination. Provincial governments, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, require greater technical support, improved planning frameworks, and enhanced resource allocations to manage disasters effectively. Strengthening institutional readiness across all tiers remains essential for a resilient and life-saving disaster management system.
Municipal government entities lack the authority and training necessary to carry out risk mapping and enforce zoning laws. A modest role is also played by civil society, which usually responds with gifts and temporary assistance but infrequently promotes long-term resilience. However, the failure is both societal and institutional. It is not only tragic, but it is also a breakdown of principles when people document the last moments of others instead of saving them.
Even the role of the average citizen in times of disaster must be questioned in a country where voyeurism is slowly replacing sympathy. Where is the civic education that instructs people on how to act during emergencies? Why aren’t CPR skills taught in schools? Instead of making photo albums, why don’t we learn how to construct human chains? We must take immediate action to prevent additional tragedies of this nature. In all vulnerable locations, NDMA and provincial officials should set up real-time flood and weather monitoring systems. They should also use SMS, loudspeakers, and local mosques to broadcast early warnings, even to distant communities.
In the wake of the Swat tragedy, Pakistan must urgently implement a comprehensive, practical, and internationally aligned disaster risk reduction strategy. This includes establishing robust early warning systems with real-time weather data and community-based alerts, along with enforcing strict land-use regulations to prevent settlements in high-risk zones. Vulnerable populations should be relocated with state support, while climate-resilient infrastructure, such as elevated housing, reinforced embankments, and efficient drainage systems, must be prioritized.
Local governments, with NGO support, should run grassroots disaster preparedness programs, training villagers in evacuation drills, first aid, and emergency response. Regulatory bodies at the tehsil level must have clear authority to halt illegal construction in hazard-prone areas. To enhance rapid response, equip tehsil headquarters with skilled disaster teams, ambulances, swift boats, and construct helipads in hilly regions.
Disaster education should be integrated into school curricula, and seasonal public awareness campaigns should be launched via radio, television, and social media. A dedicated, transparent federal-provincial disaster coordination authority, accountable to Parliament, must oversee these efforts. Crucially, media must uphold ethical standards in disaster reporting, focusing on fostering empathy and mobilizing help rather than sensationalism. The Swat family lost to the flood must not become just another statistic, it should serve as a national reminder of the lives still at risk and the urgent reforms needed to protect them.
They served as a warning that a country has violated its commitment if it is unable to protect its inhabitants from nature. Let’s weep for them in more ways than just tears. Let’s do something to show our sorrow for them. Let their final cry be the final unheard cry of Pakistani tragedy victims. A nuclear power that was immobile while its own children were swallowed by the ruthless waters, their cries drowned out by both the flood and our indifference.
Under such state of affairs, how can we expect international visitors to feel secure and at ease when they visit Pakistan if we are unable to safeguard our own compatriots from such horrific events? Every such incident not only betrays the confidence of our citizens but also harms the nation’s reputation abroad. It presents significant issues regarding the lack of a robust and workable tourism policy and reflects negatively on our disaster management. To guarantee that both domestic and foreign tourists feel comfortable and welcome, the exigency of time demands to create an effective and inclusive comprehensive tourism policy that covers infrastructure, safety, and emergency response procedures and also ensures a timely response from any unforeseen disaster.