The Punjab government, led by the PML-N, has approved a massive Rs500 billion relief package to support families hit hard by the recent floods, sources confirmed.
The programme aims to provide direct cash assistance to millions of residents living along three major rivers who lost homes, crops, and livestock in the disaster.
Under the plan, funds will be disbursed through Punjab Relief Cards. Families whose homes were destroyed will get Rs1 million, while those with partial damage will receive Rs500,000.
Early surveys show that about 63,200 brick houses and more than 309,000 mud houses were damaged. Compensation has also been set aside for livestock losses.
Farmers are set to receive Rs20,000 per acre for ruined crops, while part of the package will be used to restore damaged roads, bridges, and other key infrastructure. Officials described it as one of the largest rehabilitation efforts in Punjab in recent years.
The floods have devastated entire villages and crippled Punjab’s agricultural and industrial belts, inflicting billions in losses and undermining hopes of an economic recovery.
The provincial government had been targeting a 4.2% growth rate in 2026, backed by a revival in farming and manufacturing under the IMF programme, but record monsoon rains since late June, worsened by dam discharges from India, have shattered those expectations.
Punjab’s disaster management authority reported that at least 1.8 million acres of farmland remain submerged. Initial estimates indicate damage to 50% of rice and 60% of cotton, and maize crops.
The Pakistan Farmers Association warned that losses could climb beyond 2.5 million acres, valued at over Rs1 trillion ($3.5 billion).
Experts say the destruction rivals the catastrophic floods of 2022, with some calling it worse because of its twin impact on both agriculture and industry.
Former University of Agriculture Faisalabad Vice Chancellor Iqrar Ahmad Khan said nearly 10% of the country’s crops have been wiped out, with vegetable losses at 90% in some districts.
He cautioned that the timing is especially worrying as the wheat sowing season approaches. Wheat provides nearly half of Pakistan’s food needs, and while reserves from the 2024 bumper crop are stable, waterlogged fields could delay or reduce planting. “This is not just about rising prices; food insecurity is looming,” Khan warned.