KP to clear Swat riverbed of encroachments after tourist tragedy

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PESHAWAR/Swat: In the wake of the Swat tragedy claiming the lives of 11 tourists of the Sialkot family, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has announced a crackdown on illegal hotels and encroachments with Swat Reverse to prevent future catastrophes and ensure public safety.

Two people are still searching, while all four were rescued.

The incident took place when 17 members of a family belonging to Sialkot were swept away during a picnic on the banks of the Swat River due to a sudden rise in water. Despite the immediate rescue efforts, many were removed through a strong current.

Rescue 1122’s Director General said the search and rescue mission has been going on for more than 24 hours, now spreading in Khwajaakila, Kabal Bypass and Kinnot.

More than 120 rescue personnel have been deployed from Swat, Malakand and Shangla using boats and other goods to comb the river.

KP Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah said in a statement that all kinds of mining activities have been banned. He also announced that a crackdown on all encroachments, including illegal hotels built on or around the river, would begin.

An official statement said that “an effective operation against the encroachments inside the river and the channels of the river will begin tomorrow.”

The Chief Secretary added that an inquiry committee has reached Swat and has started investigating the tragedy. Officials who are negligent will be identified and will be held accountable.

To centralize rescue and administrative operations, the office of the Additional Deputy Commissioner (Relief) has been declared a Response Center. The concerned personnel of the department will be deployed there for rapid harmony.

Modern goods, including drones and life jackets, are being provided to rescue teams. These tools will help identify and recover the trapped persons. The initial warning system of the irrigation department will also be reviewed and increased.

Police, district administration, and rescue 1122 personnel will patrol rivers in the Malakand division to monitor activity and ensure public safety. Teams will also be responsible for keeping the public away from the dangerous river zone.

In addition, the KP government also suspended Swat Deputy Commissioner Shahzad Mehboob and appointed Salim Khan as his place.

The bodies arrived in ‘dumpers’

Meanwhile, Minister of Punjab, Information Azam Bukhari, has strongly criticized the KP government for transferring the bodies recovered to the dumpers carrying garbage.

Speaking in the Punjab Assembly, he said: “Rescue personnel could not arrive on time, and when they recovered the bodies, they used a dumper – which is used for transportation of trash – to bring these bodies to Punjab.

Later, the Punjab Assembly also approved the condemnation resolution-which was presented by the PML-N MPA Rana Irshad-expressing deep sorrow and solidarity with the families of the victims against the KP government.

The resolution states that KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandpur should resign on a moral basis on the government’s alleged failure to stop the incident.

He further called for a transparent investigation into the tragedy and emphasized that legal action should be taken against those responsible.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar also encouraged the KP government after dealing with the Swat tragedy, calling it a complete failure of governance and destruction.

Addressing a press conference, Tarar asked why only the DC was suspended while “it is the Chief Minister who should be held accountable.”

He said, “The Chief Minister’s base camp is in Adiala,” he said, in a pocket directed in Imran Khan, the founder of the PTI. “The tourists were screaming for help, the children were crying, and no one came to save them for hours,” he added.

Tarar criticized the CM’s remarks that it was not his responsibility to distribute tents. “If that’s the case, then turn off the PDMA,” he said: “In twelve years, they cannot even establish the working rescue system.”

Reacting to the tragic incident, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi censored the government of CM Ali Amin Gandpur and its failure to ensure timely reaction and precautionary measures.

“It’s not just incompetent. This is a shameful failure of duty,” Governor Kandi wrote in a post on X. In addition, in a separate video message on X, the Governor urged CM Gandapur to “show moral courage and resign without delay” because they were both provincial chief executives and also hold a portfolio of tourism.

President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and the country’s leadership have expressed grief over the incident.

The National Climate Service has warned that at least Tuesday, the risk of heavy rainfall and potential flash floods will be higher.