Shehbaz Sharif attends ‘One Water Summit’ in Riyadh.  Says Indus Water Treaty witnessed unprecedented challenges in recent years due to construction of upstream dams.  Proposes six-point global agenda to address water related challenges.  Pakistan finalising National Drought Plan.

RIYADH/ISLAMABAD  -  Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday underscored the need for strong political will and global leadership to overcome the water crisis, posing existential threat to the nations around the globe.

Addressing the “One Water Summit” in Riyadh, he underlined the need for international cooperation and collaboration to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. The prime minister said water is the lifeblood of the planet and a cornerstone of economic development, food security, and environmental sustainability. He said nearly half of the world’s population is facing water scarcity for at least part of the year. He also expressed regret that billions of population remains without clean drinking water and water pollution is rising at alarming levels.

The prime minister underlined that the water resources are fast depleting and degrading, which is displacing millions and causing unprecedented destruction.

Underlining the need of collective efforts to meet impacts of climate change and population growth, the prime minister said Pakistan is still grappling with the 2022 catastrophic floods that caused widespread damage to its water resources and irrigation sector in addition to affecting millions of lives and livelihoods.

He said, at the same time droughts posed an equally potent threat to the country. He said nearly seventy percent of our land consists of arid and semi-arid areas and around thirty percent of our population is directly affected by drought-like conditions.

He was of the view that projected temperature increases in Pakistan are significantly higher than the global average. He further said that such catastrophic disasters and challenges are likely to scale up further in the absence of concerted international actions as it was one of the top ten countries most vulnerable due to climate change.

Commenting on the Transboundary Water Management, the prime minister said that water transcended political boundaries, connecting nations and fostering shared ecosystems. He said that Pakistan attaches great importance to transboundary cooperation.

Shehbaz Sharif said that Indus Water Treaty witnessed unprecedented challenges in the recent years due to a number of factors including construction of upstream dams, whereas its effective functioning was key to maintaining regional peace and stability.

Shedding light on the ‘Recharge Pakistan’ initiative, he said we are also finalising a ‘National Drought Plan’ that identifies the most drought affected areas, and proposes effective response mechanisms to mitigate the impact of drought in these areas.

The prime minister proposed a six-point global agenda to address water-related challenges.

He called for international cooperation to ensure sustainable water and sanitation for all, share knowledge and expertise, and transfer innovative water management technologies. He also urged the developed countries to allocate adequate funding for climate-resilient infrastructure, overcoming the financing gap in vulnerable countries, and creating frameworks for transparency, data sharing, and regional cooperation to prevent conflicts and promote water sharing. The prime minister also highlighted the importance of investing in skills development, research, and strengthening institutions to tackle water issues at both national and global levels.

Praising the leadership of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in establishing the Global Water Organisation, he said Pakistan is proud to join as a founding member and offer our full support to its goals. Shehbaz Sharif also expressed his profound gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, France, and Kazakhstan, as well as the World Bank for organizing the timely summit to deliberate upon water security, which is one of the most pressing challenges of humanity.

PM Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday arrived in Riyadh for a two-day visit to represent Pakistan at the “One Water Summit” being held to deliberate upon collective strategies to tackle water security challenges.

Deputy Governor of Riyadh Prince Muhammad bin Abdul Rehman bin Abdul Aziz received Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as he landed at the airport, accompanied by Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar and his Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi. Ambassador of Pakistan to Saudi Arabia Ahmed Farooq was also present at the airport.

After landing at the airport, the prime minister took to X saying: “Just landed in Riyadh to join HRH Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and other global leaders at the One Water Summit, a timely event to deliberate upon collective strategies to tackle water security challenges. Together, we aim to accelerate action to combat desertification, address water pollution, and advocate for local, regional and global action. Let’s unite in our pursuit for water sustainability!”

A joint initiative of Saudi Arabia, France, Kazakhstan, and the World Bank, the Summit aims to promote global cooperation and a coherent international approach towards water resource management through high-level political commitments.

Also, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed the authorities concerned to take all-out measures to strictly punish the protestors who martyred and injured the personnel of law enforcement agencies and damaged public properties during the sit-ins in Islamabad. The prime minister, chairing the meeting of the task force formed to investigate the riots in the November 24 sit-in in the federal capital, said that the progress on legal action against the rioters would be reviewed weekly.

He said the attack on Islamabad by the insurgents during the official visit of the Belarusian president caused great embarrassment for the country. The prime minister said that a world-class anti-riot force would be raised in the country to meet the contemporary requirements. By establishing a forensic lab, the Islamabad Safe City would be upgraded to international standards for which all necessary resources would be utilised. In the briefing, the prime minister was told that the weapons, cartridges, shells and other pieces of evidence had been collected from the crime scene those would be sent for forensic analysis.

The identification process of the rioters is also being carried out swiftly, who would later be produced before courts. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Cheema, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarra, Advisor to PM Rana Sanaullah and relevant senior officers attended the meeting.