LAHORE: Deputy Chairman of Board of Directors of Minhaj University Lahore Dr Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri has drawn attention of the Pakistani authorities towards reports going viral on social media websites that India has planned to annul the 1960 Indus Water Treaty.
A known economist Dr Qadri said in a statement here on Thursday that it’s being claimed that New Delhi had sent a notice to Islamabad on Jan 25, 2025 about the Treaty brokered by the World Bank in 1960 and it’s being assumed that if the Pakistan Prime Minister does not respond to it within 90 days then India would consider it as abolishing of the water accord and would get control of all the river waters flowing down to Pakistan from India-held Kashmir.
He said though the Indus Water Treaty is an international accord and New Delhi could not unilaterally annul it, Islamabad should take serious notice of the information or disinformation being shared on the social media about the future of the accord to allay concerns of the Pakistani nation in this respect.
He asserted that the Foreign Office, federal cabinet or the parliament must issue a policy statement on the matter to let the people know about the veracity of the information.
Dr Qadri said that international studies suggest that Pakistan is among the countries which would be facing a crisis of severe water shortage by 2030 and in case of any dispute on its shares in the river waters would devastate agriculture of the country and deepen the food security issue.
He said that Pakistan is passing through a critical juncture of time when it is facing an unprecedented internal, political and economic crisis simultaneously keeping the authorities engaged in the internal issues creating the impression that there’s none to look after international affairs of the country.
He said India might be wishing to take advantage of this situation warranting a detailed policy statement by the government on the rivers’ water treaty.
The economist said that with the growth of population water requirements of the country are on the rise and experts believe that if solid measures are taken to plan optimal use of the available water resources, the country will be turned into a desert.
He stressed that the authorities concerned should calm public concerns regarding the Indus Water Treaty by issuing a policy statement at the earliest.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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