Selfies at Gawalmandi, silence elsewhere

With the pre-monsoon season underway, the district administration has once again designated the Gawalmandi Bridge — a high and secure vantage point — as the central monitoring site for flood damage caused by the 22-kilometre-long Nullah Leh and 15 tributary stormwater drains.

Despite severe urban flooding on Wednesday that submerged 70pc of the city's Cantonment areas and major markets — such as Raja Bazaar, Moti Bazaar, and others — under 2 to 3 feet of water, no senior officials visited the affected neighbourhoods.

Instead, key figures including the commissioner, deputy commissioner, RDA director general, WASA MD, and other officials arrived at Gawalmandi Bridge after the rain had stopped, took selfies, gave brief statements about drainage efforts, and left in vehicles.

This location has unofficially become a "photo-op point" for flood assessment. The bridge is cleaned and freshly painted before each high-profile visit, and nearby traffic is halted during these inspections. Unlike other vulnerable bridges over Nullah Leh, which officials avoid due to potential public backlash, Gawalmandi Bridge remains the preferred spot due to its security and easy access.

Sources indicate that all federal and provincial ministers, MPs, and department heads will be brought to this same site during the monsoon season.

Even if Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz visits Rawalpindi for flood assessment, she is expected to be taken to this bridge.

Local civic groups, including the Citizen Action Committee, have strongly criticised the practice. Chairman Malik Zaheer Awan has demanded that officials visit flood-affected areas and announce immediate relief of Rs100,000 per victim.

District Bar Association President Sardar Manzar Bashir also condemned the symbolic monitoring from Gawalmandi, calling it inadequate for understanding the full extent of the disaster.

Citizen Action Committee warned of a mass protest at Gawalmandi Bridge if this "selfie drama" does not end.