Khawaja Asif says water would become ‘rare’ commodity in future; says natural resources should not be turned into partisan disputes
Minister for Defense Khawaja Muhammad Asif emphasized the urgent need to construct small dams across Pakistan to tackle looming water scarcity and mitigate flood devastation instead of waiting decades for mega projects – one example is a long-proposed Kalabagh Dam on the Indus River, planned to generate electricity, provide flood control, and store water for irrigation.
Speaking in the National Assembly in Islamabad, he said that the small dams should be built nationwide, warning that water would become an extremely scarce commodity in the future. Calling for political consensus, he said that natural resources like rivers and dams should not be turned into partisan disputes. “We cannot afford to let every year’s floods become another tragedy. This is a national issue that requires unity and urgent action,” he remarked.
While climate change was triggered globally by human actions, he said Pakistan’s devastation had been aggravated by encroachments on riverbeds, unregulated housing schemes, and construction on waterways. Recalling that Pakistan had faced its third or fourth major catastrophe in the last 14 years, he said little corrective action had been taken. “We built hotels and housing colonies on riverbeds, treating them like drains, and nature has reacted. Every year, billions are lost, but encroachments remain intact,” he noted.
Underscoring importance of grassroots governance, Khawaja Asif said that local bodies were essential for disaster management, service delivery, and accountability. “Power must be dispersed to towns, villages, tehsils, and districts,” he said. When voters can knock at their councilor’s door, only then will governance respond effectively.” He said floods should serve as a reminder that the laws of nature cannot be challenged. “Water never stands still—it will find its way. Until we respect these natural laws and remove encroachments, such tragedies will revisit us every year,” he cautioned.
Speaking in the National Assembly, MNA Ali Muhammad Khan stressed the urgent need for a national policy on water reservoirs and dams to mitigate the recurring devastation caused by floods. He told fellow lawmakers that he had arrived directly from the Pakhtunkhwa House, where the chief minister, provincial leadership, and party colleagues were holding meetings on the ongoing crisis. He expressed gratitude to the speaker, and commended the House for demonstrating unity on the issue.
Ali Muhammad Khan recalled that natural disasters had already hit Buner, Swat, and parts of Mansehra earlier, while Azad Kashmir also suffered heavily. “Now Punjab is facing similar devastation, and this requires the federal government and provincial administrations to stand shoulder to shoulder,” he said. He proposed that the parliament should hold a dedicated session to discuss long-term solutions for water management, particularly the construction of new dams and reservoirs.
Referring to past initiatives, he called upon Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government to accelerate work on the Mohmand Dam project. He urged all political parties to set aside politics on the issue, terming dam construction a matter of national interest. He underlined that no mega-dam had been built for decades. “This parliament can give the greatest gift to the nation by framing a comprehensive water storage policy, which will safeguard Punjab, Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir, and Sindh from recurring floods,” he said.
Addressing the National Assembly, Federal Minister for Investment Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh announced offering his entire ministerial salary of the past 18 months to support flood relief efforts. He said that large parts of Chiniot, including Lalian and Bhawana tehsils, had been inundated, displacing nearly 200,000 people. He said that there was no major loss of human life or livestock this time, thanks to early warnings and timely response by the provincial government, local administration, and federal authorities. But he pointed out devastation of the crops and mud houses.
“In one of my own villages, the entire settlement was washed away by the river,” he told the House. He stressed the need for long-term solutions, pointing out that a suitable site for a small dam exists at Dam Burg in Chiniot. “We cannot allow these disasters to hit the same districts repeatedly, destroying lives, crops, and infrastructure,” he said. Linking Pakistan’s development challenges with global examples, he highlighted China’s consistent growth. “China, which grew at nearly 10 percent annually for decades, is now competing with the United States,” he said.
“We are trapped in internal divisions. Unless we unite and plan collectively, we will continue to suffer losses,” he said. Calling for political unity in times of crisis, he stressed that disasters should not be exploited for partisan gain. “In the face of floods, earthquakes, or any calamity, politics should fall silent. This is the time for collective action, not blame games,” he asserted. MNA Gohar Ali Khan highlighted devastation in his constituency, while MNA Khawaja Azhar-ul-Hasan said recurring floods since 2010 had exposed weak planning and unchecked encroachments on riverbanks and floodplains.
Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, MNA Naveed Qamar also announced to donate his one-month salary for the relief of flood victims, urging collective national action against climate change and environmental mismanagement. He said while natural calamities were inevitable, much of the devastation was caused by human mismanagement and misuse of natural resources. He said that the impacts of climate change were now visible in daily life, with glacial melt, blocked waterways, and unchecked deforestation intensifying disasters.
Citing expert warnings, he said that floods next year could be 22 percent more destructive, while in the long term, melting glaciers might dry up the Indus and other rivers, turning fertile lands into deserts and threatening centuries-old ecosystems. He said that the parliament was the only platform to build consensus and guide government action through constructive criticism and solutions. “Politics has its time, but in the face of national calamities, we must rise above partisanship and work together,” he said, and suggested that flood preparedness must begin immediately.
On the special instructions of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, drone technology has been deployed for the first time in Pakistan’s history to identify and rescue flood victims in the Punjab province. In Jhang, drones helped detect five people and several animals trapped near Semi-Pul Bypass on Sargodha Road. Rescue teams reached the site, safely evacuating and shifting them to secure places. Drone surveillance has been initiated in river belt areas of Chishtian and Bahawalnagar to locate people stranded in floodwaters.
By using technology, it has become possible to easily identify people and livestock submerged in floodwater. The Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) has intensified its flood monitoring and emergency response efforts through the use of thermal imaging drone technology, ensuring real-time aerial surveillance of flood-affected areas. According to a spokesperson, the thermal drone technology is being used to monitor water levels, vulnerable populations, and emerging threats, allowing for timely identification and intervention in critical zones. In Muzaffargarh, PSCA team rescued individuals trapped in Doaba near the River Chenab, using thermal drone footage to guide rescue teams.
