The Pakistan Business Forum (PBF) has raised alarm over the devastation caused by floods in Punjab and the looming threat to Sindh's agricultural belt, urging urgent federal and provincial action to avert a worsening economic and humanitarian crisis.
In a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, PBF acknowledged government efforts in tackling national challenges but stressed that the agricultural emergency requires immediate, coordinated intervention.
Preliminary reports show thousands of acres of crops destroyed across Central and Southern Punjab. Around 60% of rice, 30% of sugarcane, and 35% of cotton have been lost. More than 1.8 million people in the Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej river basins are severely affected. With floodwaters moving south towards the Indus, Sindh faces grave risks of similar destruction.
PBF warned that the government's agricultural targets for the fiscal year may now be unattainable. Losses have already run into billions, threatening rural livelihoods, food security, and economic stability.
The forum called for urgent steps, including new canal infrastructure in Punjab and Sindh, declaration of a federal agricultural emergency, and interest-free loans of up to Rs2 million for small and mid-sized farmers to support replanting and recovery.
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