"People who are protesting against the flood-like situation should take the flood waters home," the Minister told Dunya News as quoted by India Today.

"They should store this water at their homes, in tubs, in lakes. We should look at these waters in the form of a blessing and hence should store it," he said.

The remarks were reportedly made by him during an earlier flood season but went viral this year when Pakistan is battling a severe flood situation that has left nearly 33 people dead and thousands of others affected.

According to local media reports, normal lives in 2,200 villages have been badly hit due to the ongoing deluge.

Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Irfan Ali Kathia told Xinhua news agency that nearly half a million people have been moved to safe places as severe flooding continues to inundate vast areas of Punjab, adding that rescue and relief operations are continuing.