KASUR, Pakistan: The agricultural heartland of Punjab is facing an unprecedented crisis as floods devastate crops, livestock, and livelihoods, forcing Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to call for an immediate declaration of an “Agriculture Emergency” in the province.
Visiting Talwar Post, one of the worst-hit areas in Kasur along the Indian border, Bilawal met with farmers who have lost entire harvests to the deluge. He distributed Rs 10.5 million in emergency relief on behalf of the PPP and stressed that urgent measures were needed to prevent further collapse of Punjab’s farming economy.
Bilawal appealed for concessions on electricity bills, waiving or deferring agricultural loans, and direct financial assistance through BISP. He further urged the government to resume the successful free seed distribution programme, which previously helped farmers re-sow after catastrophic floods.
Highlighting the broader implications, Bilawal warned that Punjab’s plight is not a local problem but a national food security emergency. If left unaddressed, the destruction could spark shortages and economic instability across Pakistan.
He also raised serious concerns about India’s alleged violations of the Indus Water Treaty, accusing New Delhi of withholding critical flood-related data. Bilawal termed it a “shameful act” that worsened the suffering of Pakistan’s farmers during a humanitarian disaster.
Bilawal acknowledged the efforts of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in leading relief operations, but stressed that only a federal-provincial joint response could save the backbone of the economy.
With crops destroyed, farmers displaced, and thousands of acres of fertile land submerged, Punjab’s agricultural crisis is fast deepening. Bilawal’s urgent call reflects the dire need for swift policy decisions and large-scale rehabilitation programmes to restore hope in the farming sector.
This story has been reported by PakTribune. All rights reserved.