Flash floods have wreaked havoc in Ishokman Valley, located in northern Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB), leading to extensive damage and disruption across multiple regions.

The recent melting of the Badswat Glacier has resulted in severe damage. The floods have destroyed a temporary bridge and approximately 1,000 feet of road infrastructure in Badswat. This has isolated the areas of Ganjabad, Borth, Bazar Katu, Yazben, and Mutramdan by severing land connections between Badswat and Mutramdan.

As a result, around 400 households in these regions are facing significant difficulties in accessing essential services, including transportation and education for children. The current crisis has been exacerbated by drastic climate changes and inadequate local administrative response by the occupied-authorities.

Other villages in Ishokman, such as Center Kot and Faizabad Bala, have also suffered extensive damage. Land connections have been disrupted at three different locations, with the bridge in Kot Pain facing the risk of complete erosion by the river. Five residential houses have been damaged, and four shops and cattle sheds have also been partially affected. Major irrigation channels in Ishokman Proper have been damaged, raising concerns about the potential drying up of fertile lands due to interrupted water supply.

This disaster follows similar issues previously experienced in the Hunza Valley, where rapid glacier melting and river overflow destroyed numerous households and disrupted livelihoods. The lack of an effective local administrative response left many residents in distress.

Similar flood-like conditions were observed earlier on the outskirts of the Skardu and Shigar districts. However, inadequate rescue and assistance efforts from local authorities resulted in the destruction of private property and homes, particularly affecting poorer individuals.

In a recent crackdown on Sindhi political activists, police have arrested six individuals, including Javed Mangrio, Zahid Chano, and Sanwal. Reports indicate that the arrested activists were subsequently injured by police. Two others, Sajjad Chana and Farooq Abbasi, remain unaccounted for. They have been abducted by the Pak Army.

In a distressing video statement, Zahid Chano revealed that police had shot him in the leg, causing severe injury. Chano expressed skepticism about the Sindh occupied-government’s willingness to address their grievances but expressed hope that higher authorities would intervene.

The incident underscores the broader issue of systematic persecution faced by Sindhis, which includes enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and the suppression of religious minorities. The plight of Sindhi Hindus has been exacerbated by the looting of local resources, further compounding their suffering.

Notably, this crackdown is not an isolated incident, earlier Sindhi nationalist and teacher Hidayat Lohar in Larkana was brutally killed. Lohar was murdered by elements of the Paki establishment while en route to his school, highlighting the ongoing violence and repression against those advocating for Sindhi rights.

The Pakistan Army’s brutal tactics against various ethnic groups have been a recurring issue, aiming to stifle dissent and suppress voices of opposition. The recent attack on peaceful activists is a stark reminder of the mercilessness of the Army and the urgent need for international attention and intervention to address these human rights abuses.

PTM Chief Manzoor Ahmed Pashteen, accompanied by leaders of the Jirga formed for October 11, met with key figures from the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI). The meeting aimed to discuss the objectives of the Pakhtun Jirga scheduled for October 11 and underscore its significance for the region.

The PTM delegation, including Manzoor Ahmed Pashteen, Haji Abdul Samad Khan, Khairul Amin, Malik Inayatullah Khan Kasi, Saber Bilal, Sain Anwar, Imran Afridi, and Ameen Khan, presented a detailed agenda for the upcoming Jirga. They emphasized the urgent need for unity and a collective effort towards a socially and economically stable path, moving away from a war economy. Pashteen highlighted that peaceful political resistance is the only viable solution to the ongoing conflict and instability in Pakhtunkhwa.

On October 11, the representative delegation, including Jangrez Momand, Professor Faiz Muhammad Shehzad, Dr. Gul Alam, Principal Rafiq Aryan, Zahir Shah Khan Kakhar, Malik Wali Kasi, Haji Nasruddin, Sardar Ayub Sherani, Sardar Haftay Khan, and Watan Gran, also visited key leaders of the Awami National Party (ANP) and PTI. This visit was part of their broader effort to invite various Pashtun parties to the Jirga and showcase resistance against the atrocities inflicted by the Pak Army and foster unity among the Pashtun community.

The delegation’s outreach to ANP, PMAP, and PTI, and their plans to invite additional Pashtun parties, mark a critical step towards consolidating efforts for the safety and future of Pashtuns. Pashteen and his team have made it clear that now is the time for Pashtun leaders to set aside differences and work together for their people who have been under suppression of the Punjabi Pakistan Army.

The Islamic State’s Khorasan branch has claimed responsibility for a recent attack in Bajaur merged district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The attack targeted Haji Sher Zamon, a prominent associate of the Tablighi Jamaat and a well-known businessman. According to the statement from the group, Zamon was accused of espionage. He was shot dead by unidentified gunmen at the gate of the Tablighi Markaz in Bajaur. Police are currently investigating the incident.

The recent surge in violence, particularly near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, appears to be part of ISKP’s broader strategy to destabilize local political structures and incite chaos. Since the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, ISKP has been actively orchestrating attacks across the country, denouncing the Taliban regime as “apostate” and exacerbating the violent conflict between the two groups.

In a recent escalation of violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, an unofficial TTP channel has claimed responsibility for a new attack on Pakistan Army forces in the Kulachi sub-district of Dera Ismail Khan district. The attack resulted in the deaths of five soldiers and injuries to five others. The assailants reportedly seized two Kalashnikov assault rifles, seven magazines, a walkie-talkie, a hand grenade, and other equipment from the targeted soldiers.

In contrast, Pak sources have confirmed the deaths of two soldiers and injuries to three others in the same attack. Additionally, pro-TTP sources reported thwarting a raid by Pakistan security forces in Bajaur district of Malakand division, which purportedly left at least six soldiers dead. Pak security officials have confirmed the deaths of three soldiers—Naik Inayat, Lance Naik Umar Hayat, and Sipahi Waqar—in an attack on a security post in the same area, but have not corroborated details of the raid.

The ongoing conflict has intensified scrutiny on the treatment of Pashtun communities, who have faced systematic targeting and aggression from the predominantly Punjabi Pak military and authorities. The Pashtun community has been disproportionately affected by extrajudicial killings and ongoing human rights abuses perpetrated by the Paki establishment.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that the Pakistan Army, which had previously supported and created the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), now finds itself under attack by this very group. Amidst this turmoil, innocent Pashtuns are increasingly caught in the crossfire, suffering from violence inflicted by both the Army and the TTP.