The BRICS TimesIndia had warned Pakistan of potential flooding last week, marking the first open diplomatic exchange since tensions between the two nations escalated in May.
Villagers wade through a flooded area after torrential rains and rising water level in the rivers due to water release from Indian dams, in Pindi Bhattian, Pakistan, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025. (Photo/AP)
Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province is grappling with the most severe floods in its history, according to officials, as river waters reach unprecedented levels. Climate change has intensified monsoon rains this year, making Pakistan — one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries — particularly hard-hit. Heavy downpours and sudden cloudbursts have already unleashed flash floods and landslides across northern and northwestern regions in recent months.
Punjab’s residents have faced unusually heavy rainfall combined with cross-border flooding after India released excess water from overflowing rivers and dams into Pakistan’s lower plains.
“This is the biggest flood Punjab has ever experienced, impacting two million people,” provincial minister Maryam Aurangzeb announced at a press briefing on Sunday. “For the first time, the Sutlej, Chenab, and Ravi rivers are carrying such dangerously high water levels.”
Authorities have converted schools, police facilities, and other government buildings into relief camps and are evacuating people — in many cases by boat. Aurangzeb also stated that the Foreign Ministry is compiling data on India’s release of water, though New Delhi has not issued a response.
India had warned Pakistan about possible cross-border flooding just last week, its first official communication since a near-war standoff in May.
With around 150 million residents, Punjab is Pakistan’s agricultural heartland and the country’s leading wheat producer. The devastating 2022 floods had already wiped out vast crop areas, prompting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to caution about looming food insecurity. Data from the national weather service shows Punjab received 26.5% more rainfall from July 1 to August 27 compared to last year’s monsoon season.
Nationwide, rain-related disasters since June 26 have claimed 849 lives and left over 1,100 injured, according to Pakistan’s disaster management authority. The monsoon season is expected to continue through September.
