Hadiqa Kiani has appealed to communities living along the Ravi, Sutlej and Chenab river belts to prioritise safety and evacuate immediately as the country grapples with catastrophic flooding.
Taking to Instagram, Kiani shared a heartfelt video message in which she asked people in vulnerable settlements not to take the situation lightly.
“As you know, Pakistan is going through a difficult time, floods are ravaging the country, KPK, Sindh and Punjab are on high alert. Settlements near the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab are most vulnerable. It’s constantly raining, and water levels are constantly rising,“ she said.
“My request for the people living in these settlements is that they take these alerts seriously and try to move from there. Take your valuables and try to find shelter elsewhere so your life, and the lives of your loved ones, aren’t at stake,” added Kiani.
Her message comes as the government issues urgent evacuation orders, calling on citizens near the three rivers to relocate to safer areas “in view of the unprecedented flood situation”. Relief efforts are being ramped up with the army deployed in eight districts, including Lahore, Kasur, Narowal and Faisalabad, as thousands scramble to escape the rising waters.
Large parts of Punjab have been submerged, with floodwaters displacing hundreds of thousands of people, sweeping away livestock and devastating agricultural land. Officials say the crisis has been worsened by torrential rains and excess water released from Indian dams flowing into Pakistan’s river system.
So far, over 150,000 people and 35,000 livestock have been moved to safe zones, with rescue teams operating around the clock. According to UN-OCHA, this year’s monsoon death toll in Pakistan is already nearly three times higher than the same period last year.
Kiani has often used her platform to raise awareness during natural disasters and humanitarian crises. In 2022, her Vaseela campaign stepped up to help people affected by the Balochistan floods. That year, the floods inundated several villages and claimed approximately 225 lives and damaged over 26,000 homes, according to PDMA Balochistan.
In case you wish to play your part, we made a list of organisations working towards flood relief in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that will most likely be collecting donations for Punjab too.