Call to clarify reports on abolishing Indus Water Treaty

LAHORE: Minhaj University Board of Directors Deputy Chairman Dr Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri has demanded the government clarify reports going viral on social media that India has planned to annul the 1960 Indus Water Treaty and control all the water from rivers flowing through Indian-held Kashmir.

In a statement Thursday, Dr Qadri said it’s being claimed on social media that New Delhi had sent a notice to Islamabad on January 25, 2023 about revoking the Treaty brokered by the World Bank in 1960. It’s being assumed that if Pakistani prime minister does not respond to it within 90 days then India would consider it abolished and would get control of all the river waters flowing down to Pakistan from Indian-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.

He said that with the growth of population, water requirements of the country are on the rise and experts believe that if solid measures are not taken to plan optimal use of the available water resources, the country could turn into a desert.