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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s disaster management chief in Punjab warned on Thursday that the next 24 hours would be “extremely critical” as floods surged down the Chenab River, threatening the southern city of Multan and dozens of nearby villages after weeks of heavy monsoon rains and dam releases from India.

Punjab, home to half of Pakistan’s 240 million people, is the country’s most populous and agriculturally vital province, often described as its breadbasket. Officials say 46 people have been killed, nearly 3.9 million people affected, 1.8 million displaced, and thousands of villages inundated as the Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej rivers have overflowed since late last month. 

Nationwide, more than 883 people have died in floods, rains and landslides since the monsoon season began in late June, according to the National Disaster Management Authority. The disaster has revived memories of the 2022 deluges, when a third of the country was submerged, 30 million people were displaced and losses exceeded $35 billion.

“This is a critical time for the city and district of Multan,” Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Irfan Ali Kathia told reporters at a press conference. 

“The main surge of the Chenab has already reached Head Muhammad Wala at its peak and is now moving downstream.”

Multan, with a population of about 2.6 million, is the largest city in southern Punjab and the region’s economic hub, famous for mango exports, textiles and fertile farmland. 

Kathia said while there was “no danger” yet at Head Muhammad Wala, a barrage point on the Chenab upstream of Multan, the Sher Shah Bridge flood gauge near the city had already reached maximum capacity with only “two to three inches of space” left.

If authorities were forced to operate a breaching section to relieve pressure, he warned, “there are about twenty-seven locations that can be affected by it,” including settlements such as Shershah, Akbarpur and Mirzapur, with 35,000 residents at risk.

Kathia said backwater flows on the Ravi River were worsening the crisis, creating stagnant water in Toba Tek Singh and Khanewal districts. 

“At present, under the backwater effect… there are about two hundred and three villages that have been affected,” he said, adding that more than 1.8 million people and 1.3 million animals had already been evacuated with the help of the Pakistan Army and Rescue 1122.

Relief Commissioner Nabeel Javed said separately in a statement that 46 people had died in Punjab in the latest spell of monsoon rains and floods. He said 410 relief camps, 444 medical camps and 395 veterinary camps had been set up across the province to support those displaced.

RIVER FLOWS AND SINDH THREAT

River flows continued to remain dangerously high on Thursday.

The Chenab was at 217,000 cusecs at Marala, 450,000 at Khanki and 507,000 at Qadirabad, while Chiniot bridge had climbed past 509,000 cusecs and was still rising.

On the Ravi, flows stood at 84,000 cusecs at Jassar and nearly 128,000 at Balloki, both rising. The Sutlej carried 335,000 cusecs at Ganda Singh Wala and 139,500 at Sulemanki, with 169,000 steady at Panjnad. (One cusec equals one cubic foot per second of water flow.)

With reservoirs on both sides of the border near full capacity — Tarbela at 100 percent, Mangla at 87 percent, and India’s Bhakra, Pong and Thein all above 90 percent — officials warned of further downstream pressure in the southern province of Sindh. 

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said his province was preparing for a potential “super flood” as inflows from Punjab converged in the coming days.

“Our preparations are complete, and we pray this time passes without major damage,” Shah told reporters, warning that persuading riverine communities to evacuate remained the greatest challenge.

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has brought his young daughter on his most significant foreign trip in years, a trip to China that marks his latest attempt to break out of isolation and bolster his position by balancing between traditional allies Moscow and Beijing.
The girl is believed to be named Kim Ju Ae and is around 12 or 13 years old. Not much else is known about her.
Since 2022, Kim Jong Un has showcased her at a growing number of major public events tied to his nuclear-armed military, fueling speculation she is being primed as the country’s next leader.
Kim’s daughter’s name and age are unconfirmed
While North Korean state media have described Kim’s daughter as “beloved” and “respected,” they have never called her by name.
The assumption that the girl’s name is Ju Ae is based on an account by former NBA champion Dennis Rodman where he recalled holding Kim Jong Un’s baby daughter during a trip to Pyongyang in 2013.
Ju Ae’s exact age is unconfirmed but South Korean intelligence officials believe she was born in 2013.
In a closed-door briefing to lawmakers in 2023, South Korea’s main spy agency said it believes Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju also have an older son and a younger third child whose gender is unknown.
Kim Jong Un beamed as he stepped out of his family’s iconic green armored train to shake hands with senior Chinese officials upon arrival in Beijing on Tuesday. He was closely followed by Ju Ae.
Dressed in a navy pantsuit with her hair styled in a half-updo, a look reminiscent of her mother’s public appearances, Ju Ae stood in front of senior North Korean officials, including Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui.
However, she did not make a public appearance the next day as her father shared center stage with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in a massive military parade at Tiananmen Square. The parade demonstrated a deepening alignment between Washington’s adversaries.
She’s being increasingly showcased in her father’s events
Kim Jong Un chose to publicly unveil his little-known daughter at a major military event — a test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile — in November 2022.
State media released a series of photos of Kim and his daughter at the event, marking the first time her image was made public. She wore a white coat and red shoes as she watched a soaring missile from a distance and walked hand-in-hand with her father.
The missile test marked the first in a series of major military events where Kim Jong Un displayed his daughter. Her carefully-crafted appearances have included missile tests, military parades, and the launch of a naval destroyer in April, an event hailed as a major step in expanding North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. Kim Jong Un has recently expanded his daughter’s public appearances beyond military events to include some of his most ambitious economic projects and cultural events, including the opening of a beach resort in June.
Her trip to Beijing fuels speculation she is the future heir
Ju Ae’s increasing number of public appearances and presence in state media has led to speculation that she is being primed as her father’s successor. The theory has been further fueled by her first known foreign trip to China.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service issued a careful assessment last year that it views Ju Ae as her father’s likely successor, citing a comprehensive analysis of her public activities and the state protocols provided to her.
However, the spy agency said there are still various possibilities regarding North Korea’s power succession process because Kim Jong Un, 41, is still young, has no major health issues and has other children.
Some South Korean officials and experts initially expressed doubts over Ju Ae as the future heir, citing North Korea’s male-nominated power structure and Confucian influence.
Since its foundation in 1948, North Korea has been successively ruled by male members of the Kim family. Kim Jong Un inherited power upon his father Kim Jong Il’s death in late 2011. Kim Jong Il took over power after his father and state founder Kim Il Sung died in 1994.
North Korea’s state media have yet to make any direct comments on a power succession plan beyond Kim Jong Un. It has also not commented on whether Ju Ae has any siblings.