India to suffer if violates Indus Treaty: Marriyum

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb has said that India will itself suffer if it violates Indus Waters Treaty. Addressing at a national consultation on 'Pakistan's Water Challenge' here on Wednesday, she said that despite India's antagonistic and irresponsible attitude, Pakistan has been demonstrating tolerance and responsibility as it is an issue of regional peace and water security.
The minister said the government is evolving a comprehensive strategy to overcome challenges related to Indus Waters Treaty. Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif believes in the politics of consensus and reconciliation and under his reconciliatory policy, all the political parties would be taken on board on the issue, she said, adding Pakistan has capacity and capability to deal with the matter.
She said that India should avoid doing politics on such an important matter and needs to participate in the dialogue process. The minister called for evolving an effective strategy to save water for future needs.
She said that Pakistan has time and again invited India for holding talks under the Prime Minister's vision for peaceful neighbourhood, saying the matter is linked to the progress of the peoples of two countries and common development of the Indus Basin.
Marriyum Aurangzeb said that after passage of 17 years, the incumbent government has decided to conduct census this year as this is crucial for assessment of population and devising strategy to tackle challenges, especially water related issues.
The government, she said, is striving for attaining Vision 2025 targets and Sustainable Development Goals. The government is utilising all its resources to overcome problems being faced by the country, including water related issues.
She said the supreme institution of Parliament has been playing an important role in achieving development goals. A task force of the parliamentarians is working on the issues like clean drinking water, AIDS and others, she remarked.
She said the Parliament is also working on issues related to climate change impacts, besides tackling with the increasing population problem. The minister said the government cannot meet all these challenges alone, adding that all the stakeholders would have to play their due role in this regard. She said the parliamentarians cannot be blamed for each and everything. Instead of criticism for the sake of criticism, constructive proposals lead towards moving things in right direction, she added.
Marriyum Aurangzeb said that SDGs Secretariat has organised a successful conference on malnutrition while a conference on population management is being planned in February or March in which civil society organisations would also be invited.