Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday launched a scathing critique in the National Assembly over the flood crisis, blaming environmental degradation, encroachments on waterways, and flawed political conduct for the recurring devastation.

He said Pakistan turns to the United Nations and the international community for aid whenever floods strike, but never reflects on its own mismanagement.

“In my constituency, two rivers flow in. Instead of protecting them, we blocked waterways with housing schemes. This is the time for self-accountability,” he stressed.

The minister revealed that politicians themselves had built hotels on riverbanks and added that all major dams were constructed under military rulers because they had the power to implement decisions.

“In political governments, only shopkeeping prevails,” he remarked.

Issuing a warning, Khawaja Asif said Pakistan would face acute water shortages if smaller dams were not built immediately.

“We cannot wait endlessly for the Bhasha and Mohmand dams. Hundreds of small dams can be completed within two to three years,” he urged.

Turning to the situation in Lahore, Narowal, and Sialkot, he noted that floodwater receded quickly in Lahore but remained stagnant for six days in Narowal and Sialkot, a result of unchecked encroachments.

Asif also slammed the dysfunction of local bodies in Punjab, accusing successive governments of using them only for political gain rather than devolving powers to the grassroots level.

The defence minister further disclosed that he too had once received an offer in a “political deal,” adding, “We are bought, we are auctioned, and we willingly accept it. If political adventurers continue to be installed in high offices, they will treat the people just as ZKB treated Sialkot.”