Peshawar - The Provincial Inspection Team (PIT) presented its inquiry report on the Swat incident to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Friday.
The 63-page report identifies systemic shortcomings in handling such incidents and proposes measures to address these deficiencies. It highlights the negligence of specific government officers and officials and recommends disciplinary action against those found responsible.
Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has approved disciplinary proceedings against the negligent individuals, based on the findings of the report. Relevant departments—including the district administration, irrigation department, local government, and Rescue 1122—will initiate action against the identified officials. These departments are directed to complete all legal formalities and disciplinary proceedings within 60 days.
Additionally, departments and institutions identified in the report for having operational deficiencies are required to take corrective measures within 30 days. This includes issuing new protocols and regulatory frameworks. Within the same time frame, comprehensive frameworks for river safety and building regulations will be developed, new laws and rules will be enforced, and the strict implementation of existing ones will be ensured.
To oversee the implementation of the PIT’s recommendations, an oversight committee headed by the Chief Secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be established. This committee will also translate PIT recommendations into actionable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Furthermore, the oversight committee will submit monthly progress reports on the implementation of the recommendations to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat. It will also ensure that river safety modules are integrated into the upcoming monsoon contingency plan and that Rescue 1122’s capabilities are swiftly enhanced.
To prevent similar incidents during the monsoon season, a province-wide public awareness campaign will be launched by relevant departments, including Information, Relief, and Tourism. The PIT report revealed that advisories issued by PDMA and the district administration were not effectively implemented in the Swat incident. It also noted a lack of coordination among field departments, including Police, Revenue, Irrigation, Rescue 1122, and Tourism Police.
The malfunctioning of the early warning system resulted in delayed communication. Regulatory mechanisms for approving building plans and identifying encroachments were found to be vague and inconsistent.
The report also cited negligence by hotel owners in alerting tourists to potential dangers. Delays in Rescue 1122’s response, a lack of trained personnel, and insufficient equipment were also highlighted.
There was no clear designation of responsibilities among departments for riverside safety, nor any risk classification system for riverside tourist spots. At the district level, no organized SOPs existed to ensure public safety during the monsoon season, and existing rules were violated in constructions along watercourses. The report emphasized the urgent need for a special provincial law to effectively regulate activities along rivers.
The report also highlighted the inadequate enforcement of Section 144. It included a summary of steps taken by the provincial government and local administration following the incident. According to the report, an indiscriminate anti-encroachment operation was launched along rivers across the province immediately after the incident.
Over the past ten days, 127 illegal buildings were sealed, and constructions on 682 kanals of land were demolished. In total, 1,874 kanals of encroached land were identified, with 1,019 kanals already cleared. Additionally, 609 kilometres of riverbeds were demarcated, and 174 safety barriers were installed.
Coordination between Rescue 1122 and district administrations has been improved. Under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister, a River Rescue Plan has been approved. As part of future preparedness, the establishment of 36 prefab rescue stations at a cost of Rs. 66 million, procurement of modern equipment worth Rs739 million, and the setting up of 70 compact rescue stations costing Rs608 million have been approved. Moreover, Rs200 million have been allocated for establishing a digital monitoring system.