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Khawaja Asif Blames Political Elites, Encroachments for Flood Devastation
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif slams political elites, encroachments & weak governance for worsening floods. Calls for hundreds of small dams and a national response to disasters.
ND
by News Desk
2025-09-01
Khawaja Asif Blames Political Elites, Encroachments for Flood Devastation

Speaking in the National Assembly on the ongoing flood crisis, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif delivered a hard-hitting speech against environmental destruction, political opportunism, and encroachments that have worsened Pakistan’s flood vulnerability.

Khawaja Asif said that every time floods hit the country, Pakistan seeks aid from the United Nations and the international community but fails to confront its own destructive practices. “Two rivers enter my constituency, but politicians and elites have built schemes on the waterways, blocking them. This is the time for self-accountability,” he stressed.

He pointed out that wealthy individuals, including politicians, were directly responsible for riverbank encroachments and the construction of hotels along waterways. “All major dams were built during dictatorial regimes because they had the power to make decisions. Political governments only run like shopkeepers,” Asif remarked.

The Defense Minister warned that Pakistan risks facing severe water shortages unless urgent action is taken. “If we do not build small dams, we will be left waiting for drop by drop of water. Bhasha and Mohmand dams will take years. Hundreds of small dams should be built within two to three years,” he proposed.

Highlighting the situation in Lahore, Narowal, and Sialkot, Asif noted that while water drained out of Lahore, it remained stagnant in Narowal and Sialkot for six days due to poor planning. He strongly criticized the absence of effective local government in Punjab, saying institutions were being used for politics instead of public service.

The minister also revealed corruption within political circles, admitting that bids and offers were made to influence decisions. He warned that if political adventurers continued to be inducted into the upper houses, they would treat people the same way “ZKB treated Sialkot.”

Concluding his address, Khawaja Asif urged the country’s leadership to abandon political opportunism and unite on a national response to disasters, stressing that sustainable water management and governance reforms are critical for Pakistan’s survival.

 
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