Red alert in Pakistan's Punjab; army deployed

RAVI, CHENAB, AND SUTLEJ RIVERS REACH DANGER LEVELS

- BY ASHFAQ AHMED

Punjab has declared an emergency and called in the army to support civil authorities as torrential monsoon rains and water releases from Indian dams have pushed the Ravi, Chenab, and Sutlej rivers to dangerous levels.

Authorities warn the next 48 hours will be decisive in determining the scale of devastation.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) confirmed that India has opened all gates of its Thein Dam on the Ravi River, following an earlier warning about a similar discharge from the Madhopur Dam.

The move comes as heavy rainfall in upper catchments further swells river flows downstream, inundating dozens of villages and straining embankments.

'Exceptionally high flood'