• Source:JND
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As Pakistan battles one of the most severe floods in recent history, an old video of Defence Minister Khawaja Asif suggesting that people should treat floodwaters as a “blessing” and store them in tubs and containers has gone viral again, sparking outrage on social media. In the resurfaced clip, Asif can be heard saying: “People who are protesting against the floods should take this water to their homes. They should store it in tubs, in lakes. We should see this water as a blessing and preserve it.” The remarks, which were originally made during earlier flood seasons, have re-emerged at a time when Pakistan’s Punjab province is reeling under devastating monsoon rains.

Punjab Faces Biggest Flood in Its History

According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), the ongoing floods have claimed at least 33 lives, affected more than 2,200 villages, and forced the evacuation of over 700,000 residents. “This is the biggest flood in Punjab’s history. For the first time, all three rivers , Sutlej, Chenab, and Ravi — are flowing at dangerously high levels,” Punjab’s senior minister Maryam Aurangzeb said at a press briefing. Officials said around two million people have been directly impacted in the agrarian province, which is Pakistan’s main wheat-producing region. Crops worth millions of dollars are feared to be destroyed, raising concerns over food security in the coming months.

Disaster management teams, backed by the army, are operating in the worst-affected districts, including Bahawalnagar, Kasur, and Bahawalpur. Thousands of villagers have been shifted to temporary shelters, while relief camps have been set up for displaced families. “Water levels in the Sutlej River near Kasur have begun to subside slightly, but the situation remains critical,” PDMA chief Irfan Ali Kathia said. In neighbouring Sindh, authorities warned that over 1.6 million people across 1,657 villages could be affected if water inflows continue. “The provincial government has mobilised machinery and preventive measures are in place,” Sindh’s senior minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said.

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The National Weather Center reported that Punjab received 26.5% more rainfall between July 1 and August 27 compared to the same period last year. Since June 26, rain-related incidents have killed at least 849 people and injured over 1,100 nationwide. The situation has revived memories of the 2022 floods, which left nearly one-third of Pakistan under water and caused losses of more than USD 30 billion.

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Viral Video Adds To Government’s Embarrassment

The re-circulation of Khawaja Asif’s old comments has drawn sharp criticism, with many Pakistanis accusing the government of being insensitive to the suffering of flood victims. Opposition leaders said the remarks reflect Islamabad’s failure to invest in large-scale water management projects. “Instead of offering buckets, the government should be building dams and drainage infrastructure,” one social media user wrote. Asif, in the video, had also suggested that big dams should be constructed, though he admitted that such projects could take 8–10 years to complete.