Boat Operators Charging Up to Rs. 10,000 Per Person for Flood Evacuations: Journalist Asadullah Khan
LAHORE: Senior journalist Asadullah Khan has revealed shocking exploitation by private boat operators, who are reportedly charging exorbitant amounts to rescue flood victims.
According to Khan, private boatmen are demanding between Rs. 100,000 and Rs. 150,000 to evacuate an entire family from flood-hit areas. The charges vary depending on distance, but individuals are being asked to pay Rs. 10,000 per person.
“One family shared that they had six members and managed to pay Rs. 60,000. However, when they mentioned their seventh member—a 10-year-old child who could sit on their lap—the boatman refused. He told them either to leave the child behind or pay an additional Rs. 10,000,” Khan reported.
Amid this profiteering, Khan also highlighted the selflessness of a young man with a larger boat who rescued 181 people from his neighborhood free of cost.
اسداللہ خان کا انکشاف
مجھے جلال پور میں ایک فیملی نے بتایا ہم 6 لوگ تھے 7واں ہمارا چھوٹا سا بچہ تھا پرائیویٹ کشتی والے نے پر ہیڈ 10000 چارج کیا ہمارے پاس 60000 تھے ہم نے کہا 7واں بچہ ہے جھولی میں بیٹھا لیں گے تو کشتی والے نے کہا یا تو بچے کا 10000 دو یا پھر بچہ یہیں چھوڑ دو ۔… pic.twitter.com/hK1iMEyczx
— Ahmad Hassan Bobak (@ahmad__bobak) September 13, 2025
The revelations have sparked outrage, raising questions about unchecked private operators exploiting vulnerable flood victims during a humanitarian crisis.
