‘Pakistan can seek environmental flows for Ravi’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has the right to seek release of water from India for Ravi River for minimum flows and to recharge groundwater of Lahore under global law to prevent transboundary environmental harm.

Arshad H Abbasi, an eminent water expert, stated this in a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Abbasi has been a part of Track-II Diplomacy on water issues with India.

The water expert expressed dismay on the remarks made by Federal Law Minister Azam Tarar on April 22 in the National Assembly. In his speech, the minister had said Pakistan cannot take any legal action against India over “water aggression” in the International Court of Justice (ICJ). “India maintains right to water from the River Ravi under a legally binding treaty,” he had stated.

Abbasi said the minister’s “ignorance” and the Indian move to completely stop the flow of Ravi River into Pakistan may mean death to Lahore’s groundwater in its vicinity.

He urged the law minister to review the historical flow data of River Ravi below the Indo-Pak border. The data indicates average annual flow in Ravi has varied between 1.1 and 2.2 MAF from 2000 to 2023.