The devastating floods that recently swept across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), and parts of Kashmir have once again exposed the glaring weaknesses of Pakistan’s disaster management system. Hundreds of lives have been lost, thousands of homes washed away, and countless families left stranded in treacherous conditions without food, shelter, or medical assistance. Amid this human tragedy, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has come under severe criticism for failing to rise to the occasion.
When the NDMA was established, it was touted as a professional, central body that would ensure swift coordination and effective relief operations across the country during natural disasters. However, on the ground, the situation remains dismal. Observers note that before the creation of the NDMA, provincial governments, armed forces, and local administrations handled emergencies more efficiently. Today, the Authority seems more engaged in PowerPoint presentations, press briefings, and paperwork rather than real action where it matters most.
The plight of flood victims in KP and GB illustrates this disconnect. In many districts, access roads remain blocked, bridges collapsed, and communication systems cut off. Yet timely rescue efforts, evacuation arrangements, and relief distribution were either delayed or entirely absent. Local volunteers, community groups, and civil society organizations have once again stepped in to fill the vacuum left by state institutions.
Critics argue that the NDMA’s centralized approach often sidelines provincial disaster management authorities and creates unnecessary red tape. The result is duplication, confusion, and a lack of accountability. In emergencies, minutes matter, but bureaucracy continues to stall urgent decisions. Victims in Chitral, Swat, Kohistan, and Skardu have lamented that despite repeated appeals, government help has not reached them.
The federal government, too, cannot absolve itself of responsibility. Expressing solidarity in statements and issuing condolence messages is not enough. What the people of KP and GB need are practical steps: immediate financial compensation for affected families, provision of tents, food, medicines, and safe drinking water, as well as urgent restoration of damaged roads, power, and communication infrastructure.
Pakistan faces a recurring cycle of floods, landslides, and climate-induced disasters every year, yet lessons from the past remain unlearned. Billions have been spent on disaster management institutions, but the outcomes remain invisible on the ground. If this failure continues, the credibility of NDMA as a national institution will further erode, reducing it to little more than a bureaucratic showpiece.
The federal government must urgently extend full support to KP and GB. Long-term planning, effective coordination between provincial and federal institutions, and a genuine focus on implementation rather than paperwork are the need of the hour. Without these, tragedies like the recent floods will only continue to devastate vulnerable communities, leaving survivors with nothing but despair.
The people of Pakistan deserve not just sympathy, but action. It is time for the state to prove that the NDMA is more than a name on a letterhead and that governance means service to the people in their darkest hour.
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