President of the Popular Party of Pakistan (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has requested a national response linked to the devastating floods in Punjab, urging federal and provincial governments to overcome political differences and prioritize relief and recovery efforts.
During a visit to the areas affected by flooding in Kasur on Friday, Bilawal emphasized that the disaster scale requires joint action, saying that no provincial government can address the crisis alone.
“This is not a time for political score. Natural disasters demand national unity. We must all unite to help our people rebuild their lives,” he said.
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Recognizing the efforts of Punjab Prime Minister Maryam Nawaz, Bilawal praised his dedication during the emergency and asked the federal government to assume a main role in providing help and infrastructure support.
“CM Maryam is working hard in difficult circumstances, and that must be recognized. But the federal government must play its complete role, as it did during the previous floods,” he said.
Bilawal requested the declaration of an agricultural emergency in Punjab, pointing out the extensive crop losses and the generalized damage to the rural economy of the province. He also urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to extend subsidies through the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) and provide relief to farmers in the form of support of seed invoices, fertilizers and electricity.
“The Punjab agricultural sector is in crisis. Farmers need immediate help with the inputs and relief of loans. We cannot let the collapse of the collapse of our economy,” he added.
The president of the PPP criticized the Indian government even more for not defending the Treaty of the Water of the Indo, blaming the sudden release of river from the river from the other side of the border for exacerbating floods.
“The refusal of India to share timely water data is a violation of international law and a threat to millions of lives. This is not just a violation of the Indo Water Treaty, it is an attack on the Indo River system. This is water terrorism,” he said.
He added that Pakistan would raise the matter in international forums and expressed his confidence that India would eventually be forced to honor the treaty or return the legitimate part of the Pakistan rivers.
Bilawal said his party is ready to help in the phases of relief and rehabilitation, and has instructed PPP members to completely support the efforts of the Punjab government.
“We build two million houses in Sindh with federal support after floods. With unity and commitment, we can do the same for Punjab,” he concluded.
