Warning to India: Asif Zardari raises water issue

Posted on 12 October 2008. Tags: Asif Zardari, Chenab, Indus Water Treaty, Pakistan

BACKGROUND OF CURRENT CRISIS:

Lt Gen (r) Hameed Gul has said that India has so far built 62 dams and hydro-electric units on Pakistani rivers to deprive Pakistan of water and render into a desert. He said Pakistan was being deprived of water under an international conspiracy to conquer it. At this stage, some insane people were opposing construction of Kalabagh Dam in Pakistan, he added. He said that Shaukat Aziz’s influx in Pakistan was also part of the conspiracy as he formulated such policies, which put the country into crisis. He said that Shaukat Aziz created food shortage. He said the mujahideeen damaged Baglihar Dam and it could not be reconstructed.
Hameed Gul, however, warned that the mujahideen would damage all dams. Sindh Water Council Chairman Hafiz Zahoor-ul-Hassan Dahr said that when the dispute on water would not be resolved, there would be conflict between the two countries. He said, “India is not building dams under the Indus Water Treaty but on the Pakistani rivers.” He said that the food shortage would be forty per cent next year that would increase starvation in the country. He warned, “Pakistan can become Somalia and Ethopia,” he added.

Water Wars: The impact of India stopping Pakistani water

India’s Aqua Bomb for water wars: Stops water to Pakistan

According to the Indus Water Treaty the waters of the Western rivers belong to Pakistan and the waters of the Eastern Rivers belong to India–at least in theory. By illegally occupying Kashmir with a forged article of accession (which is ostensibly lost now–and was never shown to either Pakistan or the UN), India now controls all the rivers. Water wars are not part of some sci-fi movie–they are happening now.

Indus Water Treaty, Kalabagh, Kashmir, & Gurdaspur

Indian Aqua bomb-Pakistan’s future water wars in Kashmir

Indus Water Treaty, Kalabagh, Kashmir, & Gurdaspur

The Kalabagh Dam dropped without discussion in parliament

Water wars: India attacks Pakistan with Water again-flash floods 57 villages

Statesman Report

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has said that Pakistan expects India to abide by international agreements on sharing of water in the Indus River system.

“Pakistan would be paying a very high price for India’s move to block Pakistan’s water supply from the Chenab River. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had assured me in our meeting in New York that his country is seriously committed to our water sharing treaty. We expect him to stand by his commitment,” President Zardari said in a statement here on Sunday.

Pointing to the ramifications of the violation of the Indus Water Treaty, President Zardari said that the Indian move would damage the bilateral ties the two countries had built over the years. “India should not trade off important regional objectives for short-term domestic goals.”

President said that the government is pursuing the issue of India’s violation of agreement on water supply at the highest level.

Pakistani officials would be taking up the matter with the Indian officials,” he said.

President Zardari said that Pakistan and India should reap the benefits of shared border, rather than allowing that to become a burden for the two nations.

“Our two governments would be obliging to public sentiments if they move to strengthen the bilateral ties.”