By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: Opposition leader Muzammil Aslam of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has strongly criticised the federal and Punjab governments for their handling of the 2025 floods, accusing them of abandoning millions of affected citizens while highlighting stark differences in relief efforts across the country.
Aslam contrasted the approach of the PTI-led government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), which he said had already moved to compensate farmers for destroyed harvests, with the inaction of other administrations, particularly in Punjab, where millions of residents have been left to cope with widespread devastation on their own. His remarks came amid growing concerns over the scale of destruction and the slow pace of relief efforts.
Citing official data, Aslam said the floods had displaced around four million people nationwide and caused economic losses estimated at Rs822 billion. Punjab bore the brunt of the disaster with Rs631 billion in damages, followed by KP at Rs51 billion and Sindh at Rs32 billion, underscoring the uneven impact across provinces.
The PTI leader placed particular emphasis on the agricultural sector, warning that the floods had inflicted severe damage on key crops. Cotton production was estimated to have fallen by 3 to 3.4 million bales, sugarcane losses ranged between 1.3 and 3.3 million tonnes, and rice output declined by 0.6 to 1.2 million tonnes. He noted that the destruction of livelihoods in rural areas would have long-term effects, not only on farmers’ incomes but also on food security and the national economy.
Aslam warned that the losses would ripple beyond agriculture, predicting a decline in exports and a corresponding rise in imports, which would further strain Pakistan’s economy. He urged the federal and provincial governments to take immediate action to provide relief, deliver compensation, and prevent further deterioration of living conditions in the affected areas.
