Kisan Board Pakistan (KBP) has announced a long march towards Islamabad and will stage a sit-in in front of the Parliament to create awareness amongst the masses about Indian water aggression against Pakistan and forcing rulers to declare shortage of water as the biggest threat being faced by the country. 'A date in this regard will be announced later on after consultation of provincial bodies of the Board,' said KBP Central President Sardar Zafar Hussein Khan in an emergent press conference here on Tuesday.
He urged the government to immediately convene an 'All Parties Conference' (APC) to formulate a National Water Policy where representatives of growers and water experts should also be invited to devise a solution for water shortage and Indian water aggression. KBP Chief also proposed that the government should challenge Indian violation of Indus Basin Water Treaty in the international court.
Sardar Zafar said that water shortage is at present bigger issue than terrorism as area under cultivation had reduced to 21.2 million hectares from 22.3 million hectares. India was constructing dams on war footing on all the rivers depriving Pakistan from its share of water and turning fertile land in to a desert. In such situation buying electricity from India produced from water share of Pakistan is equal to certify these dams.
He said that water shortage issue started from 1948 and now situation had reached to an alarming phase and even US media had termed it the biggest threat for Pakistan. He was of the view that this shortage was not sudden rather a result of an international conspiracy. He said water availability in 1950 was 580 cubic meter per head and by year 2025 it is being said that it would reduce to 550 cubic meter per head only. He said that in 1996 record water shortage was recorded in canals of the province which was only 2 per cent but by year 2000 it had reached to 43 percent. KBP leaders urged the government to realize the gravity of the situation and take steps for resolving these issues on immediate basis.