Floodwaters have damaged the Multan-Suk­kur Motorway (M-5) at five points and spread into villages along the highway in Mul­tan, Lo­­dhran and Bahawalpur districts, including Phagal Marhi, Hayat­pur, Jhanmp, Soiwala and Muradpur.

Floodwaters also reached Uch Sharif, submerging nearby settlements such as Jhangra and Basti Mir Chakar Rind. The Multan-Uch Sharif Motorway section has been closed to traffic after severe damage to more than five locations.

National Highway Autho­rity (NHA) officials and police are enforcing diversions, with reopening contingent on receding water levels and repairs. The NHA said its teams were working round the clock to restore the damaged section of the M-5 Motorway near Jalalpur Pirwala.

In a statement, the authority said temporary restoration of one carriageway had been achieved while engineers and experts continued permanent repair work.

Several sections of the motorway were damaged after protective embankments cracked under flood pressure from the Chenab and Sutlej rivers. Traffic remains diverted to alternative highways until full restoration is complete.

 A general view of a closed motorway damaged by floodwater at Jalalpur Pirwala, in Multan district, Punjab on Sept 17, 2025, after the Chenab River overflowed following heavy monsoon rains. — AFP
A general view of a closed motorway damaged by floodwater at Jalalpur Pirwala, in Multan district, Punjab on Sept 17, 2025, after the Chenab River overflowed following heavy monsoon rains. — AFP

Opinion

Editorial

Kashmir unresolved
Updated 30 Sep, 2026

Kashmir unresolved

The just solution lies in India addressing the issue through a trilateral dialogue involving the legitimate representatives of the Kashmiri people and Pakistan.
Water shortage
30 Sep, 2026

Water shortage

THAT the country is entering the Rabi season with an anticipated water shortage of nearly 25pc, the lowest carryover...
Young hearts
30 Sep, 2026

Young hearts

THE observance may have passed, but the message of World Heart Day should not fade with it. The occasion is a useful...
Terror and politics
Updated 29 Sep, 2026

Terror and politics

There is an urgent need to tone down the rhetoric and tackle terrorism as a collective challenge for both the affected provinces and the federation.
Watching the glaciers
29 Sep, 2026

Watching the glaciers

THE latest signs from Pakistan’s mountains are worrying. Suparco says the number of unfrozen glacial lakes it...
Dangerous agenda
29 Sep, 2026

Dangerous agenda

AS the world remains fixated on the US-Iran conflict, elsewhere in the Middle East, Israel is consolidating its grip...