Chairman, Senator Talha Mehmood, Senate Standing Committee on Interior warned India that Pakistan would use the nuclear option if war is imposed and predicted the possibility of a fourth war with India on the water issue.
"India is bent upon making Pakistan a desert by abusing its upper riparian geographical position and building huge water reservoirs/dams thereby violating the World Bank brokered Indus Water Treaty. The silence of the international community in this regard is nothing short of criminal and is encouraging India", Talha Mehmood said while addressing a press conference after his return from a visit to North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) headquarters in Brussels.
A Parliamentary delegation headed by Chairman Senate was invited by Nato to visit its headquarters in Brussels and Pakistani parliamentarians were briefed by Nato high command on their future plans with respect to Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Talha Mehmood warned that any regional belligerent power must be made aware that Pakistan is a nation of 180 million brave people. "We reserve the right to live in peace and dignity and if any country imposes war on us, we would use all available options, including the nuclear option," he added.
Talha Mehmood said that Nato member countries have failed to discharge their responsibilities towards Pakistan. "They informed us that Nato forces came to the region to support Pakistan in development and building infrastructure, but ground realities are marked different", he added.
"If they are sincere to help Pakistan they should resolve the core issue of Kashmir which will end all tensions in South Asian region", he said, adding that both India and Pakistan have fought three wars and many small battles on Kashmir, resulting in death and destruction without the resolution of the issue.
It is the moral responsibility of Nato to help resolve Kashmir issue for Pakistan, a frontline state in the global war against terrorism, he said, adding that if the West was committed to settling the issue it could easily have done so.
Talha Mehmood revealed that Nato commanders noted their concerns over Pakistan's nuclear programme, but "we informed them that Pakistan's nuclear capability is a deterrent against India." It is obligatory on the part of Nato member countries to assist Pakistan to come out of the financial crisis as Pakistan suffered a massive loss of over $100 billion on the war against terrorism Talha said. Foreign debt, he added, was $30 billion a few years back, which has doubled to $60 billion, while terrorism has destroyed the economy, industry and tourism of Pakistan.
"We need no aid but we need access to European markets so that Pakistani industry can grow and thereby end the existing economic impasse, high unemployment levels and rising poverty", Senator Talha said, adding that in spite of saying 'do more' to Pakistan the US and Nato countries should join hands and do more to develop Pakistan.
"We have forcefully raised the issue of Dr Aafia's release with US and apprised them that if Dr Aafia was not released unconditionally it will further increase hatred for the West among Pakistani people", he said. "During our meetings with Nato officials we protested over drone attacks on Pakistani soil and informed them that these attacks prove counter-productive and are increasing hatred among people", he said.