ISLAMABAD , August 29, 2025: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced it would suspend all political activities across the country to concentrate on relief efforts for flood-hit communities in Punjab, where torrential rains and upstream water releases from India have triggered devastation.
In a statement, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram accused India of committing “water aggression” by unilaterally suspending the Indus Waters Treaty and halting vital data exchange. He termed the release of excess water into Pakistani rivers a “deliberate act of water terrorism” and urged the government to raise the issue at international forums, seek revival of the treaty, and demand compensation for damages.
Waqas also castigated the Sharif-led government for what he described as “criminal negligence” in disaster preparedness, despite repeated warnings of heavy monsoon rains and possible water inflows from India. He said the administration had failed to implement timely flood mitigation measures, leaving communities vulnerable.
The PTI spokesperson further criticized Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s overseas trip to Japan and Thailand at a time when “her province was battling disaster,” calling it wasteful and tone-deaf. He also cited Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb’s admission that Pakistan had failed to prepare viable flood-related projects despite securing $11 billion in pledges at the Geneva Conference in 2023.
Accusing the government of incompetence, Waqas stressed that agriculture and livelihoods remained at risk as floodwaters threatened areas along the Sutlej, Ravi, and Chenab rivers. He said PTI had instructed its organizational units at all levels to mobilize resources and assist victims.
