Mahira Khan recounts terrifying experience amid floods and rains

Renowned actress Mahira Khan has spoken about a frightening personal experience linked to the recent heavy rains and floods in Khyber Pakhtunkkhwa (K-P) in a post shared on Instagram.

The actress revealed that she felt deeply anxious and helpless while returning from the tourist destination of Nathia Gali in Abbottabad. She said she feared at every moment that she might be caught in a flood or landslide along the way.

"The thought kept haunting me — what if a sudden landslide or water surge swept us away?" she wrote, adding that her mind also turned repeatedly to the thousands of people currently suffering due to the disaster.

Reflecting on the ordeal, she said she has now come to understand how powerless people are when faced with natural calamities. "They struggle every moment to save their lives, their homes and their loved ones — but often nothing remains in their control," she wrote.

At present, unusually heavy monsoon rains have caused widespread destruction across the country. The actress expressed sorrow over the devastation caused by the rains and offered prayers for mercy and protection.

In K-P and Gilgit-Baltistan, floods and landslides have so far claimed more than 400 lives. In Sindh, persistent downpours have added to difficulties, while on Tuesday, heavy rainfall in Karachi triggered urban flooding.

The situation in Karachi once again exposed the fragility of the city's infrastructure. Journalist Rabia Anum, in a widely shared social media post, wrote that Karachi doesn't drown in rain, it drowns in corruption.

"It drowns in decades of neglect. It drowns because those in power let it drown. If the city had real infrastructure, every rain wouldn't paralyse it ... In Karachi, rain doesn't kill. Negligence does. No rescue, no safety, no system. Just survival... alone!"

Singer Farhan Saeed also voiced concern, saying: "My heart cries for Karachi, the people of Karachi. But again, you guys keep living with it, they'll keep making you live with it. In comparison you see Lahore and you'd know the difference. I wish I see Karachi rising, what its beautiful people actually deserve. Be safe!"