Pak Defence Minister Calls Floods A 'Blessing': "Store Water In Tubs"

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has a bizarre solution to tackle Pakistan's flood situation. He wants Pakistanis living in low-lying areas to "store" the flood waters in containers, rather than letting it go to drains. He also asked people to see the flooding as a "blessing". 

Over 2.4 million people have been affected, and over a thousand villages have been submerged as record-breaking monsoon rains unleash devastating floods across Pakistan's Punjab province.

Speaking at an interview with Pakistan's Dunya News, Asif said, "People who are protesting against the flood-like situation should take the flood waters home."

"People should store this water at their homes, in tubs, and containers. We should look at this water in the form of a blessing and hence should store it," he added. 

Strongly condemn tone deaf comments by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif against the people of Sindh.

"Sindhis were blocking roads for the river. They should consider these floods as a blessing and keep the water in their homes." pic.twitter.com/UkKdBHCeis

— Kumail Soomro (@kumailsoomro) September 1, 2025

Asif also suggested Pakistan should build small dams that can be completed quickly, rather than waiting 10-15 years for mega projects. "We are letting water go down the drain. We must store it," he said. 

Pakistan Floods

Over 2 million people have been impacted by record-breaking flooding in Pakistan's Punjab province, according to Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari. Per Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) data, from June 26 to August 31, as many as 854 Pakistanis have died due to floods, while over 1,100 have been injured.

Authorities warned that rising water from the River Chenab is likely to reach Multan district in Punjab on Tuesday, merging with inflows from the River Ravi. Meanwhile, the surging water level at the River Panjnad in Punjab is expected to reach its peak on September 5, while water from the River Sutlej continues to advance towards barrages, including Suleimanki and Head Islam.

Officials cautioned that two more days of monsoon rains predicted across Punjab could disrupt relief operations and further raise the water levels.

The United Nations has warned that the flooding of farmland and the destruction of ready-to-reap crops across Pakistan have triggered concerns of a food crisis and inflation in the country.