Relentless monsoon downpours dumped up to 260 millimetres of rain on Rawalpindi and Islamabad on 17 July, triggering urban flooding that submerged major roads, paralysed transport and prompted the local administration to declare a public holiday. Water in the city’s Nullah Lai channel surged to an estimated 25 feet before receding, while adjoining low-lying neighbourhoods were ordered to evacuate. Nationwide, the rains have killed at least 43 people, according to Kyodo News, with most deaths reported in Punjab. Thirteen people died in Lahore after roofs collapsed or they were electrocuted, three were killed and 18 injured in Sheikhupura, and two, including a police officer, were swept away in Jhelum. Authorities also reported children drowning in Bahawalnagar and scores of vehicles being washed off roads across the region. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif placed the province under a ‘rain emergency’, putting Rescue 1122 and municipal teams on high alert. The NDMA issued evacuation sirens for communities along Nullah Lai and warned of further flash floods as rainfall levels run 30-40 percent above seasonal norms. Rescue crews said hundreds of people remained stranded by evening, and operations were suspended after nightfall. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif convened an emergency meeting and later visited the National Emergency Operations Centre in Islamabad, ordering telecom companies to push flood alerts by SMS and directing federal-provincial coordination on relief work. Officials said roads in Rawalpindi were largely cleared by late afternoon, but the Meteorological Department forecast more heavy showers over the next 24–48 hours, keeping the country on alert for additional flooding.