ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information Atta Tarar has called for the suspension of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur following a tragic incident in Swat, where a flash flood in the river claimed several lives.
In a press conference, Tarar stated that the provincial government had already suspended the Swat deputy commissioner over negligence that led to the deaths of at least 12 people, but insisted that the chief minister must also be held accountable. He criticized the KP government for its failure to respond promptly, noting that tourists’ pleas for help went unanswered for hours.
Tarar further questioned why no helicopters were used in the rescue efforts, despite the availability of such resources. He criticized the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for mismanaging KP’s infrastructure over the past 12 years and highlighted what he termed as a systemic failure of governance.
“The people elected the chief minister to serve them, not to be controlled from Adiala jail,” he added, suggesting that the real failure exposed by the tragedy was PTI’s governance system, not just the loss of lives.
The tragic event occurred when a sudden surge in the Swat River swept away 17 people. So far, 12 bodies have been recovered while three individuals were rescued. The victims included tourists from Daska, Mardan, and one local resident. Rescue operations remain ongoing to locate the remaining missing individuals.
