LAHORE - NPT Chairman Muhammad Rafique Tarar has stressed the need to introduce long time strategy to handle water woes as India wants to convert Pakistan into a desert.
“India is starting a water war with Pakistan to destroy our agricultural economy,” Tarar said while talking to a seminar on “Indian Water war and its dangers” at Aiwan e Karkunan e Tehreek e Pakistan on Tuesday.
NPT vice chairman Dr Rafique Ahmad, Col (r) Abdul Razzaq Bugti, Indus Water Council Chairman Hafiz Zahoor ul Hasan Dahir, Farooq Khan and people from all walks of life attending the sitting.
Rafique Tarar further said that Pakistan was facing severe shortage of water mainly due to construction of Indian dams on our rivers. “The Nazaria Pakistan Trust has always highlighted this issue,” he added.
He also questioned how many dams Pakistan constructed to save water fall into the Arabian Sea. The Kala Bagh dam project could not only reserve water for electricity purposes but for irrigation also, he highlighted.
Dr Rafique Ahmad said that India was not following Indus Water Treaty. He prophesied that the future wars would be on the issue of water. While quoting Indian Modi’s statement to stop water, he said, that India should know that Pakistan was an nuclear power.
Abdul Razzaq Bugti said that in 1947, India stopped Pakistani funds and other assets. “India has constructed dams on our water that was severe violation of the treaty of 1960,” he added.
Zahoor ul Hasan Dahir said that it was Indian war strategy to stop Pakistan’s water and damage our economy. Quoting analysts, he said that the third world war would be on water issue.
He also termed the dialogue on water issues with India ‘a futile effort’. Dahir said that he had talked the issue with late Dr Majid Nizami who could not survive till solution of the problem. “Dr Nizami wanted a solid solution of this issue,” he recalled.
NPT Secretary Shahid Rasheed said that India never admitted creation of Pakistan. “The Pakistani nation should unite on the issue of water and other issues,” he urged.
