Any Indus Treaty breach by India to be taken as act of war, Senate Commission told

The government Wednesday informed the Senate Committee of the Whole that any unilateral violation of Indus Water Treaty by India would be considered as an 'act of war' by Pakistan. Briefing the high-powered committee chaired by Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani to prepare policy guidelines for the government in wake of emerging regional realities, Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that it is clear that the government was neither going to review the Indus Water Treaty nor any such suggestion is under discussion.
Pakistan is planning to hold an international conference on water issues, he said, adding water is supplied to the people of the country almost free of cost and this policy needs to be reviewed. He warned that the country is moving towards starvation due to shortage f water. He also said that the government had decided to build Diamir-Bhasha Dam through its own resources.
Unveiling the government's plans, the minister said that Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) is going to establish a university in Islamabad to address water and water governance issues with having campuses in all the four provinces. Rabbani remarked that the Senate has the same stance on the violation of Indus Water Treaty that any violation by India would be considered as 'an act of war.'
Earlier Khawaja Asif and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaz Aziz gave an in-camera briefing to the committee on the Indian aggression at the Line of Control (LOC) and developing situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir. The briefing contained the factual position as to the latest situation at the LOC and government's stance and preparedness to combat such like situations.
The adviser said that Operation Zarb-e-Azb is a joint step of the political parties and the army. He said that the government is fully active and facilitating the armed forces for the operation against the militants. He said that the infrastructure of non-state actors in tribal areas has almost been damaged and the government is taking action against non-state actors across the board and without any discrimination.
The adviser informed that the government has no plan to completely erect fence alongside Pakistan Afghanistan border but the borders are being made safe. He said that measures are being taking for securing the Pak-Afghan border and control the smuggling. Pakistan cannot have friendships with India but wants peaceful relations with it, he said. "But we want friendships with Afghanistan and a policy is being carved out in this regard," he added.
The adviser said the dossier about Indian spy Kulbhushan Yadav is being updated. He said that further information is being up-dated for the dossiers on Indian involvement in terrorist activities in Pakistan. Sartaj Aziz said that Pakistan wants peaceful co-existence in the region and there is no point to be disappointed and the Foreign Ministry is making its best efforts for better relations with the world community.
Senator Mohsin Leghari during the opening session pointed out that the country is facing severe water shortage. Senator Nauman Wazir said that the Indus Water Treaty needs to be taken up at international forum as India has threatened to stop the water flowing towards Pakistan.
Senator Farhatullah Babar said whenever efforts were made to normalise relations with India, the non-state actors through their activities disturbed these efforts. He said that the mysterious forces of the non-state actors must be banned and Pakistan should take its principal stand on Kashmir issue on the basis of its integrity and national prestige.
Senator Sherry Rehman said that the government is not clear about the constitution of National Security Committee. She said the issue Kulbhushan Yadav had not been taken up properly at international fora. She said that members of the banned outfits are coming to the Parliament after contesting election and the organisations responsible for regulating them are doing nothing.
Senator Mushahid Hussasin Sayed said that the parliamentarians volunteered to prepare the case of Pakistan to highlight its stance on international level in context of the Indians efforts to isolate Pakistan. Senator Jehanzeb Jamaldini said that banned outfits are operating after changing their names and action is not being taken. A comprehensive action plan needs to be devised to act promptly against these elements to overcome the menace of terrorism. Senator Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah said that the different committees formulated in response to the guidelines given by the Senate must have representation of the parliamentarians.