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PESHAWAR: A 7-km (4-mile) lake in northern Pakistan, created by a mountain mudslide, is threatening to burst and unleash potentially “catastrophic” floods downstream, officials warned on Saturday.

The mud flow descended into the main Ghizer River channel and blocked it completely on Friday, creating the lake in Gilgit Baltistan province, the National Disaster Management Authority said.

The blockage created a “dam-like structure” that poses a significant threat of bursting, it said in a situation report by its provincial office.

The new lake “can cause a catastrophic flood,” said Zakir Hussain, director general of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority.

Four downstream districts — Ghizer, Gilgit, Astore and Diamer — face a serious threat, he told Reuters.

Ghizer is north of the mountain districts in northwest Pakistan where floods triggered by the worst of this year’s monsoon rains and cloudbursts have killed nearly 400 people since August 15.

A video shared by the national disaster authority on a WhatsApp group where it issues statements shows black mud sliding down the mountain before landing in the river. Reuters could not independently verify the video, which an official at the authority said was shot by residents.

Similar mud flows landed in the river from different mountainsides, said provincial government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq.

A shepherd on higher ground, the first to spot the mud flow crashing down, alerted villagers and local authorities, he said. As a result of the warning, he said, nearly 200 people in dozens of scattered houses tucked in the mountainsides and the river’s surroundings were rescued.

The lake has started discharging water, meaning the threat of a burst is receding, but flash floods in downstream districts cannot be ruled out until the lake is completely cleared, Faraq said.

The communities downstream have been directed to stay on high alert and vacate areas along the river, he said.

Floods across Pakistan have killed 785 since the monsoon started in late June, the national disaster authority said, warning of two more rain spells by September 10.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has stressed the significance of “good governance” and people-centric development to ensure durable peace in Pakistan’s insurgency-hit Balochistan province, the Pakistani military said on Saturday.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but most impoverished province, has been the site of a long-running insurgency that has intensified in recent months, with separatist militants frequently attacking security forces, government officials and installations and people from other provinces.

Apart from separatist outfits, religiously motivated groups such as the Pakistani Taliban and Daesh also maintain presence in Balochistan, where nine Pakistani soldiers and 50 Pakistani Taliban militants were killed in separate incidents this month, according to officials.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing, said on Saturday that Field Marshal Munir visited Balochistan’s Turbat to review the prevailing security situation, assess development initiatives, and reinforce coordination between military and civil institutions.

“COAS (chief of army staff) was given a comprehensive brief on the security dynamics, including threat perspective and successful operations against Fitna Al-Hindustan (Indian-sponsored militants), ongoing development projects, and efforts to enhance socio-economic conditions in southern Balochistan,” the ISPR said.

“During interaction with CM Balochistan and representatives of the civil administration he highlighted the need for good governance, infrastructure development, and the importance of inclusive, people-centric progress.”

In recent months, Islamabad has frequently accused India of backing militant groups and Afghanistan of allowing the use of its soil for attacks against Pakistan. Kabul and New Delhi both deny the allegation.

During his visit, Field Marshal Munir reiterated Pakistan Army’s resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Balochistan in their pursuit of peace, prosperity, and sustainable development in Balochistan, according to the ISPR. The army chief appreciated the security forces for their role in ensuring peace and stability in the region under challenging circumstances.

“He emphasized the significance of joint civil-military efforts in addressing the challenges faced by the people of Balochistan and reaffirmed unwavering support for all initiatives aimed at improving the southern Balochistan’s socio-economic development,” the ISPR added.

Pakistan’s military has played an outsized role in national affairs since independence in 1947, including periods of direct rule after coups in 1958, 1977 and 1999, when General Pervez Musharraf toppled then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the elder brother of incumbent PM Shehbaz Sharif.

Even under elected governments, the army is widely considered to be the invisible guiding hand in politics and in shaping foreign policy, security strategy, and often key aspects of governance.

Earlier this year, Pakistan’s defense minister Khawaja Asif described the country’s governance as a “hybrid model” in which military and civilian leaders share power, in a rare public admission by a serving Pakistani government official that took on added significance amid the army chief’s solo visit to the United States this month and an unprecedented meeting with President Donald Trump.

“This is a hybrid model. It’s not an ideal democratic government … So, this arrangement, the hybrid arrangement, I think [it] is doing wonders,” Asif said in June, adding that the system was a practical necessity until Pakistan was “out of the woods as far as economic and governance problems are concerned.”

The defense chief argued the long-running political instability and behind-the-scenes military influence in earlier decades had slowed democratic development, but the current arrangement had improved coordination.