Sohail Afridi Boat Tragedy Inquiry: CM Orders Probe

Saifullah Lake – (Web Desk) – The Sohail Afridi boat tragedy inquiry has officially begun, with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister setting up a high-level team to find out what went wrong at Saifullah Lake.

The panel will be led by a senior officer from the Inter-Provincial Department, with a top finance official also joining the probe. Their job is simple but urgent: figure out why the boat went down and who, if anyone, should be held responsible.

Investigators will look closely at whether life jackets and rescue gear were on board and working. They also plan to check if the boatman had the right skills and experience to carry passengers safely across the lake.

The tragedy happened on July 1, when a boat carrying a family of eight flipped over in the Kalam area. Early reports said seven people were on the boat, but officials later confirmed the real number was higher.

Swat Police Officer Mohammad Omar Khan said five bodies were pulled from the water near Mahodand. Rescue crews, police, and local volunteers kept searching for the others still missing.

The man steering the boat survived but was badly hurt and rushed to hospital for treatment.

The committee now has one week to hand its findings to the provincial government, a deadline that puts real pressure on getting answers fast.