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ISLAMABAD: Authorities in Pakistan on Thursday urged citizens to exercise caution as monsoon rains continued across the country, warning of more downpours in the coming 24 hours in Punjab and other parts of the country.

The ongoing rainfall comes amid a season of severe weather that has already caused widespread damage. Since June 26, at least 303 people have died in rain-related incidents nationwide, including 164 in the eastern Punjab province, according to disaster management officials.

“We request citizens to take precautionary measures during the monsoon season,” Irfan Ali Kathia, Director General of Punjab’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), said in a statement. “Keep children away from streams, low-lying areas, rivers and canals and strictly avoid swimming during rainfall.”

The PDMA said that the sixth spell of the monsoon system is expected to subside later on Thursday, but rain is still likely in most districts of the province.

It informed water levels in major rivers — including the Indus, Chenab, Jhelum, Ravi and Sutlej — remained at normal levels, and no immediate flood threat was reported.

In its latest fact sheet, PDMA reported 582 people injured, 216 homes damaged, and 121 livestock losses in the current season.

It also said financial assistance was being provided to affected families in various districts.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued a flash flood alert a day earlier for the Kashmir region and Gilgit-Baltistan, citing forecasts of intense rainfall in mountainous areas.

Vulnerable districts, including Neelum Valley, Skardu and Hunza, were asked to remain on high alert and identify evacuation routes in case of sudden water surges.

The NDMA urged residents to avoid crossing flooded roads and low bridges and recommended moving vehicles, livestock and valuables to safer ground.

Authorities said that emergency monitoring and coordination with provincial and district administrations were continuing to ensure a timely response to any worsening conditions.

ISLAMABAD: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Wednesday said the recent standoff between India and Pakistan was rooted in the unresolved Kashmir dispute, urging the global community to press New Delhi for a “peaceful and expeditious” settlement to ensure regional stability.

The remarks came during an event marking the sixth anniversary of India’s 2019 decision to revoke the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir and integrate the Muslim-majority Himalayan region into the rest of the Indian union. The move triggered a sharp response from Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties, a situation that remains unresolved. Both countries claim Kashmir in full but control only parts of it.

Speaking at the United Nations, OIC Permanent Observer Ambassador Hameed Opeloyeru linked the latest military escalation to the decades-old territorial conflict.

Earlier this year, India and Pakistan engaged in a brief but intense four-day exchange of drone strikes, missiles and artillery fire in May, following a gun attack on tourists in the Indian-administered town of Pahalgam. New Delhi blamed Islamabad for the attack, while Pakistan denied any involvement and demanded an independent probe.

“The OIC has continued to renew its call on the global community to lean on the Government of India to allow an expeditious but peaceful resolution of the Jammu Kashmir dispute, in line with the UN Charter and the basic principles of international law,” Opeloyeru said. “Without doubt, the people of Jammu Kashmir do enjoy the inalienable rights to self-determination as established under international law, including the UN Charter.”

“It is evident that the unresolved Kashmir dispute is the root cause of the recent hostilities in West Asia,” he added. “To this end, the OIC promptly expressed its concern on the Pahalgam attack on Azad Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April 2025 and later welcomed the ceasefire, which was established on 10 May 2025 and which continues to hold.”

The OIC also criticized India’s decision to suspend the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, a World Bank-brokered agreement governing river water distribution with Pakistan, in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack. Islamabad has already described such a move as “an act of war,” though the OIC has urged both sides to adhere to bilateral agreements and resume dialogue.

At the same event, the OIC reiterated its rejection of India’s 2019 revocation of Kashmir’s special status and what it described as efforts to alter the region’s demography. The group reaffirmed its support for the Kashmiri people’s “legitimate struggle” for self-determination, citing resolutions adopted at its ministerial session in Istanbul in June 2025.