ISLAMABAD/KARACHI – Federal Minister for Climate Change Musadik Malik has announced an aggressive campaign to dismantle illegal resorts, housing projects, and hotels built along Pakistan’s rivers, vowing to hold wealthy land grabbers accountable for devastating flood risks.
Speaking to reporters in Karachi on Friday, Malik said powerful elites had “carved up riverbanks” for profit, leaving vulnerable communities to bear the brunt of natural disasters.
“In the recent floods, 800 lives were lost—more than in some wars,” he said, calling the destruction of waterways “a crime against the poor.”
“A War to Reclaim the Rivers”
Malik described his recent 750-kilometer journey across Gilgit-Baltistan, where he personally inspected river valleys and flood-hit areas. He noted that none of the illegal structures belonged to impoverished communities.
“It’s never the poor who are building riverside resorts,” he remarked. “It’s always the powerful, and their lavish bungalows become weapons when floods carry debris downstream.”
The minister issued a stark warning: as mountain floodwaters surge, unplanned construction not only collapses but also turns into deadly projectiles, amplifying destruction in low-lying regions.
State to Act Against Powerful Encroachers
Declaring “enough is enough,” Malik echoed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s stance that no one, regardless of wealth or influence, will be spared in the upcoming demolitions.
“This year, Pakistan will see that the state stands with the poor, not the land mafias. This is a war, and we will not stop until every illegal structure is removed from riverbeds,” Malik vowed.
Restoring Natural Defenses
Malik also stressed the need for long-term climate resilience, urging provinces to create natural floodwater reserves along rivers and curb illegal logging. He warned that deforestation worsens flood damage, as uprooted trees often turn into “deadly debris” in flash floods.
“Only forests can shield us,” he said. “Instead of cutting trees, we need mass plantation drives to restore nature’s defenses.”
The climate minister’s remarks signal one of the government’s boldest environmental crackdowns in recent years, as Pakistan grapples with the aftermath of deadly floods and escalating climate threats.