Former Information Minister Senator Mohammed Ali Durrani, Chairman Pakistan Mutahida Kisan Mehaz, Muhammad Ayub Khan Mayo, President Kisan Board Pakistan, Sardar Zafar Hussan and various other farmers associations have demanded the government to take up the issue of illegal blockage of Satluj River water with India, which was not only a sheer violation of international laws, basic human rights and Indus Basin Treaty but also was an "Indian vicious plot" to turn the country's agriculture into barren.
These demands were made while addressing the participants of the protesting rallies in the different parts of the country on Sunday. Muhammad Ali Durrani while addressing the participants of a 2-km long protest walk at the Satluj River bed here to denounce the blockage of Satluj River water. People from all walks of life attended the walk which also included delegations from Cholitsan who were wearing their traditional dresses while women and children were carrying empty water pots symbolising the lack of water.
Meanwhile, talking to the protesters, Pakistan Mutahida Kisan Mahaz, Chairman Ayube Khan Mayo termed it "conspiracy to devastate canal system which would lead to food crisis in the homeland."
He also demanded the government to take serious notice of it otherwise farmers would come on the roads to protest against the willing silence of the rulers.
Senator Durrani demanded of the government to build diplomatic pressure on India to abide by the Indus Basin Treaty (IBT) and release water for domestic use in river Satluj, Ravi and Bias in compliance of the treaty, which binds India to use water from these rivers only for agriculture purpose.
"This is a conspiracy by India to turn Bahawalpur division into a desert as the greenish civilisation of 'Hakra River' was made into 'Cholistan Desert' after the termination of Hakra River," he added. He said that the blockage of Satluj waters has badly hit the civilisation of Bahawalpur who is facing a grave threat to its survival and the people of the area are facing massive abdomen diseases.
"Due to the blockage of Satluj Water, the quantity of arsenic has increased significantly in the drinking water which is causing diarrhoea, stomach problems, liver and kidney failures, skin diseases, ENT diseases etc.
All over the Punjab, the mortality ratio in children under 5 years of age is at 72 while the same is 142 in Bahawalpur. This is a serious human catastrophe which needs immediate remedy," said Senator Mohammed Ali Durrani.
He said the government had sold the irrigation water of Satluj, Ravi and Bias to India in 60s against a sum of 60 million pound sterling and the same amount was spent on the construction of Tarbela and Mangla Dams.
However, he said, no royalty was paid to the people of Bahawalpur by the government. He said later, the bed of Ravi River was irrigated through five link canals from River Jhelum, Chanab and Sindh to save the civilisation of Ravi. However, Satluj and Bias were not provided any water for the survival of their civilisations.
He said for the time being the government should provide water for the civilisation living across Satluj bed through link-canals as had been done with Ravi.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Kisan Board Pakistan after peaceful protest at Allama Iqbal Town had convened an emergency meeting of its members on Monday (today) to chalk out future strategy and line of action. The meeting will also prepared recommendations and estimation of losses due to blockage of water at Sutluj River by Indian.
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