The state of Punjab in Pakistan is facing one of the worst floods of all time and in the middle of all this the Defence Minister of the country, Khawaja Muhammad Asif has sparked a controversy with a statement against India.
During a visit to the flood-ravaged city of Sialkot, Asif claimed that floodwaters entering from India carried with them not only debris and livestock but also dead bodies.
Speaking to reporters, the minister alleged that the grim sight of bodies being swept across the border had been reported by local residents. He pointed out that Sialkot lies downstream of several water channels originating in Jammu, which often swell during heavy rains or when water is released from the Indian side. According to Asif, India had twice notified Pakistan before releasing excess water into the rivers. He said, “floodwaters flowing from across the border carrying dead bodies into Pakistan.”
The minister further argued that the inflow of water, along with the debris it carried, disrupted municipal teams working to drain flood-hit neighborhoods. His comments, however, triggered a storm of criticism on Pakistani social media, where many users accused him of shifting blame rather than addressing the government’s own failures in flood management and infrastructure preparedness.
India’s Flood Warning to Pakistan
Earlier this week, Indian authorities shared information with Pakistan regarding severe weather conditions and potential flooding, citing concerns for public safety. Several rivers that flow across the border remain dangerously swollen.
However, the long-standing Indus Waters Treaty, which governs water-sharing arrangements between the two countries, remains suspended. India halted cooperation under the treaty following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, and no hydrological data has been exchanged since, officials familiar with the matter told Hindustan Times.
Scale of the Flood Disaster in Pakistan
The floods have unleashed a humanitarian crisis across Pakistan, displacing nearly 250,000 people and impacting more than 1 million lives. Entire villages, businesses, and farmlands have been washed away. According to officials, over 800 people have died since late June.
Punjab’s senior minister, Marriyum Aurangzeb, said that 1,432 villages across the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers were inundated, directly affecting around 1.2 million people. Relief operations are underway, with nearly 700 relief camps and 265 medical centers set up in flood-hit areas. Authorities are distributing food and essential supplies to survivors.
The devastation has reached a historic scale. For the first time in 38 years, the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers are all in high flood simultaneously, forcing emergency workers to intensify rescue and relief missions across multiple districts.
