RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has airlifted 48 tons of vital relief goods from Karachi to Peshawar through an Air Eagle B-737 aircraft to support the ongoing relief operations in the flood-affected areas of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military’s media wing said on Monday.
Torrential monsoon rains and flash floods have devastated Pakistan, killing 657 people since late June, the country’s disaster management authority said. The northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has been hit the hardest, with 325 deaths reported amid flash floods, landslides, and house collapses.
The relief goods, arranged by an NGO, will be distributed in the hard-hit Buner and Shangla districts in coordination with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated in a press release.
By establishing an air bridge, the Pakistan Air Force has ensured the swift transportation of urgently needed supplies to support relief efforts in the flood-hit districts of Buner and Shangla.
The consignment comprising essential dry ration will be distributed among affected families in close coordination with NDMA, ISPR stated.
“This humanitarian mission reflects Pakistan Air Force’s enduring commitment to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the nation, not only in safeguarding the aerial frontiers of the country but also in providing timely assistance to fellow countrymen in times of crisis, ISPR maintained.
Flood relief operation
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Disaster Management Authority reported that Buner is the worst-hit district, accounting for 217 deaths and 120 injuries.
The PDMA said 95 houses have been damaged there, while schools and cattle have also been lost.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Army has continued the flood relief operation in flood-hit Buner, Swat, Shangla, and Bajaur for the fourth consecutive day on Monday despite heavy rains.
Ration and other relief goods are being distributed among flood victims through the Pakistan Army’s helicopters, while people are also being shifted to safer places, according to Radio Pakistan.
PAF AIRLIFTS 48 TONS OF RELIEF GOODS FOR FLOOD-AFFECTED FAMILIES IN BUNER & SHANGLA
18 August 2025: Upholding its legacy of responding to the nation’s call during times of natural calamities, Pakistan Air Force, under the special directives of Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed… pic.twitter.com/te4nOhijjM
— DGPR (AIR FORCE) (@DGPR_PAF) August 18, 2025
The contingents of the Pakistan Army Engineers Corps are engaged in opening roads and removing the debris.
The Urban Search and Rescue teams of the Corps of Engineers are also busy retrieving the injured and bodies from the rubble.
Providing medical treatment
The doctors of the Pakistan Army are providing medical treatment to the patients free of cost in the medical camps that have been set up in the affected areas.
Pakistan Army troops are also engaged in relief operations in flood and landslide-affected districts of Gilgit-Baltistan.
The Army Engineer Corps and FWO are busy opening roads that were blocked due to landslides.
The Islamabad-Gilgit Highway via Babusar Top has been reopened, while Hunza Road, which heads towards Estiqwar and China, Deosai Road, and Jaglot-Skardu Road, except Estiq Bridge, have also been reopened for traffic.
