'Pakistan hurdle in Indian domination over South Asia'

LAHORE - The strategies adopted by the past and the present governments and the Indian aggression are the major reasons for water problems in the country, said speakers at a seminar on Water Dispute and Pak-India Dialogue held at Hameed Nizami Hall here on Wednesday. The speakers observed in the coming days Pakistan would present the picture like that of Ethiopia and Somalia if India could not be halted to build dams on western rivers of Pakistan. Former Ambassador, Javaid Hussain, Former President Punjab Water Council, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Convenor Pakistan Water Movement, Hafiz Saifullah Mansoor and Chairman Indus Water Council Hafiz Zahoor-ul-Hassan Dar were among the speakers. Javaid Hussain said getting domination in South Asia was the fundamental strategic objective of India while a strong Pakistan in its neighbour was the main hurdle in this regard. He said mere blames on Indus Water Treaty were not the solution to our water problems. We should adopt water reservation and management principles and build small and big dams with unanimous consensus, he said and added a keen check on Indias activities on the western rivers was also needed at the same time. He said economically strong and united Pakistan besides peaceful environment in its boundaries could be better response to the Indian aggressions. Omar Sarfraz said Pakistan wastes its 35 million acres feet of water every year into the sea. He said in the past only two dams were constructed by our rulers, clearly indicating their negligence towards the water and power problems, and added, we as a nation were also responsible for our miseries as we also failed to elect sincere and wise leaders. He said India also had a role in making Kalabagh Dam controversial. He said instead of Pakistan Israel and India were real frontline allies of the US. Hafiz Saifullah said Pakistan and India had held dialogue on water 130 times at lower level and 12 times at the higher level but these proved mere useless practices. He said India was using 26 million acres feet water from the Ravi and 19 million each from the Biaus and the Sutlej for cultivation besides dozens of dams on the Chenab, the Jehlum and the Indus river had been constructed by India on the water which flows to Pakistan. All problems are due to the governments one-sided surrender to India on the Kasmir Issue, he said and assured that the people of Pakistan would never surrender on Kashmir and one day Kashmir will be part of Pakistan according to the desire of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Hafiz Zahoor said the whole of South Asia was facing the danger of war due to Indian water terrorism. He said national and provincial assemblies should pass a unanimous resolution against Indian hostility and water aggression and the matter should be taken to the Security Council but for all that we needed that which could also hinder the Indian brutality towards our resources.