Islamabad: Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, visited flood-ravaged areas of Kasur in Punjab on Friday, accusing India of “water terrorism” and violating the Indus Waters Treaty by withholding crucial flood data.
Bhutto Zardari, joined by prominent PPP figures including former Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Governor Punjab Sardar Saleem Haider, surveyed the devastation and addressed affected communities. He emphasized the need for coordinated efforts by local, provincial, and federal governments to provide maximum relief to flood victims.
Acknowledging the Punjab Chief Minister’s efforts, he called for collaborative action, recalling similar relief measures implemented during previous floods through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). He urged his party to offer full assistance and pledged PPP’s support to the provincial government in both relief and reconstruction phases, citing the scale of the calamity as too massive for any single administration to handle.
The PPP Chairman advocated for immediate BISP assistance to affected families, highlighting the severe losses suffered by Punjab’s farmers. He stressed the importance of agriculture to the national economy, calling for an agricultural emergency declaration, support for farmers in seed and fertilizer supply, and relief in electricity bills and loan installments for flood victims.
Bhutto Zardari outlined a three-phase approach to recovery, including ongoing rescue operations, followed by damage assessments, and finally, the rebuilding of homes, businesses, and infrastructure. He appealed to the federal government for reconstruction support in Punjab, similar to the ongoing housing projects in Sindh. He also emphasized the need for federal assistance in flood-hit Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Turning his attention to India, Bhutto Zardari blamed the neighboring nation for exacerbating the floods, accusing them of violating international law and the Indus Waters Treaty by withholding timely flood information. He condemned India’s actions, pledging to raise the issue internationally and demanding adherence to the treaty or the return of Pakistani rivers.
Concluding his address, Bhutto Zardari assured the affected population that their concerns would be conveyed to both provincial and federal governments, and that he would personally address the matter with the Prime Minister.