Flood relief: Bilawal acknowledges Maryam Nawaz’s efforts

Kasur: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has urged the federal government to play an active role in flood-affected areas of Punjab and acknowledged that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz is working hard in relief efforts.

While speaking to flood victims in Kasur, Bilawal said he visited a government-established relief camp and noted that Punjab has suffered extensive damage due to flooding.

He added, "Media reports gave some idea of the situation, but after seeing it myself, I now realize the damage is far greater. The federal government must take a leading role. During the previous government, flood relief was provided, and the same should happen now."

Bilawal admitted, "Chief Minister Punjab is working very hard, and we must recognize that. Those who work hard during natural disasters often face more criticism."

He stated that he has instructed his party to increase relief efforts in Punjab, emphasizing that the provincial government alone cannot handle this disaster.

Bilawal appealed to the Prime Minister to expand support through the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) to reach more flood victims. He stressed that farmers in Punjab have suffered greatly, particularly in the agricultural sector, and called on both the Prime Minister and provincial government to declare an agricultural emergency, including assistance with seeds and fertilizers.

Addressing farmers, he said, "I will present your demands to the Prime Minister—particularly regarding loans and electricity bills—and I hope the Prime Minister will extend support."

Bilawal also urged for damage assessments to be conducted for homes and businesses. He noted that with federal support, PPP is already constructing 2 million homes in Sindh, and efforts are being made to prioritize affected areas under BISP.

He added that currently, Punjab is the most affected, while earlier Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Gilgit-Baltistan were also impacted. He emphasized that the federal government must support all affected regions, and expressed hope that no political point-scoring would occur during this national crisis.

Bilawal said the flooding was caused by rivers flowing in from India, and highlighted that although the Indus Waters Treaty exists, the Modi government has declared it does not recognize the treaty. Under the treaty, India is supposed to share river flow data with Pakistan.

"This time, India has forgotten all sense of humanity," he said. "They didn’t share any information with Pakistan and only gave a last-minute warning before releasing water. We will raise the issue of treaty violations at the international level—either India must honor the Indus Waters Treaty, or be held accountable."

Criticizing Indian actions further, he said, "They must return our rivers. What India is doing is water terrorism, targeting innocent civilians."