Pakistan faces deadly monsoon flooding as India rejects Chenab river allegations

Pakistan is dealing with deadly monsoon flooding and landslides after days of intense rain across several regions. At least 37 people have died in rain-related incidents, according to the supplied report, while homes, crops, livestock and roads have been damaged. The flooding has affected Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.

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India has rejected allegations that it is deliberately causing flooding in Pakistan by releasing water upstream. A spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs said the recent rise in flows in the Chenab river was a direct result of intense monsoon rainfall over Jammu and adjoining catchment areas during 20 to 23 July 2026. The spokesperson described the claims as baseless and said they were contrary to the facts.

The dispute has centred on the Chenab river, where Pakistan's Flood Forecasting Division in Lahore had already attributed high water levels to heavy rainfall in the upper catchment. In a flood advisory issued on 22 July 2026 at 1718 PST, the division said high flows at Marala were expected to continue before gradually receding as rainfall eased. India cited that advisory to argue that the river rise was a natural hydrological response rather than a deliberate upstream action.

The issue matters because it combines a major weather emergency with a sensitive cross-border water dispute. Flooding on the Chenab can affect communities and infrastructure downstream in Pakistan, while public accusations over river flows can quickly become politically charged between the two neighbours. The timing also places the dispute within the wider monsoon season, when heavy rainfall routinely raises the risk of flash floods and landslides in the region.

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The reported deaths and damage underline the scale of the current emergency. The affected areas include mountainous and riverine regions where landslides and fast-moving floodwaters can isolate communities and disrupt transport links. The mention of crops and livestock damage also points to wider economic pressure on rural households already exposed to seasonal weather shocks.

What remains unclear from the available reporting is the full extent of the damage and whether river levels will continue to rise or begin to ease in the coming days. It is also not clear whether further official exchanges will follow between the two sides over flood warnings and upstream flows. The next developments will likely depend on rainfall in the upper catchment and on updated flood advisories from the relevant authorities.

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