Dawn Images

The president's boat has made a comeback. Last seen during the 2017 urban floods in Karachi, President Arif Alvi recently promised to bring his infamous boat back into service for Islamabad after the city was hit by urban floods.

Islamabad experienced urban flooding in many areas after a cloud burst caused an unusually large amount of rainfall. The sweeping waters resulted in the death of a mother and child in sector E-11. Videos of cars being swept away by torrents of water on the streets of Islamabad have been widely shared on social media.

In response to the urban disaster, President Alvi offered his personal services in aid of his citizens — including the offer to bring out the same boat he used in Karachi as an MNA. Alvi had gone around on the boat to assist people during the urban flooding in Karachi in 2017.

"Islamabad is my city just like Karachi and all other lovely cities of Pakistan," he recently wrote on Twitter. "I am confident that Islamabad's administration are doing their job well but if need be, I am ready with my boat."

The president might have posted the joke after catching wind of Twitter remembering his boat and thinking it might have been useful during the present situation in Islamabad. "Islamabad is desperately looking for Arif Alvi and his boat," a user commented on Twitter.

Twitter users brought out their creative sides to tease the president for his boat.

"The brave hero of Karachi is on a rescue mission in Islamabad," one user wrote.

Many told their friends to rent the boat from President Alvi in case they needed it for personal use around the city.

One user asked if his boat was ready for action in other cities of Pakistan as well. After all, he's not just the president of Karachi and Islamabad.

Not a lot of people were able to see humour in President Alvi's comment though, especially given the seriousness of the situation in Islamabad at the moment.

"Should you really be joking at a time like this or feel shameful that this happened under your watch?" replied comedian Shehzad Ghias to Alvi's post. "Don't say anything if you can't offer support to the victims."

Others were quick to remind him that lives were lost during the floods, and this really wasn't the time or place to make a joke like this.

While we appreciate the president's intentions to bring some cheer in times of hardship, the light-hearted quip could have come at a more appropriate time. During these difficult times people are looking for a lot more than just a boat from their government.