‘Bodies floating in floodwater came from across the border,’ says Khawaja Asif

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif revealed that the floodwater flowing from India into Pakistan also carried dead bodies. He warned that although the river flow has now moderated, the risk of another flood still persists.

He stated that dead bodies, livestock, and heaps of trash in floodwater further complicated drainage operations for municipal authorities.

According to Khawaja Asif, India had twice informed Pakistan before releasing water into the rivers.

Speaking about the unusual scene of bodies floating in floodwater, Asif said locals reported witnessing corpses swept across the border.

The minister added that this year’s torrential rains broke decades-long record, noting that a similar situation was last witnessed in 1976.

Read more: Sialkot receives heaviest one-day rainfall in nearly five decades

He stressed that authorities and locals failed to take timely precautions, including the removal of encroachments along natural water passages.

Speaking about his hometown Sialkot, Asif pointed out that at least three major nullahs remain clogged with filth, which authorities neglected to clean despite prior warnings.

He urged an urgent upgrade of the sewage system and criticised the failure of civic bodies to properly maintain drainage channels.