Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif Tuesday said that Pakistan has enough water resources and if these are managed and properly utilised then they will make the country sufficient enough to cope with the water threat whether or not Indus Water Treaty (IWT) with India remains intact.
Briefing Committee of the Whole of the Senate on the latest development over establishment of Court of Arbitration by World Bank (WB), construction of Kishanganga and Ratle Hydroelectric Plant by India, he said that Pakistan remains stuck to the treaty and is also following its terms and conditions.
A proposal by some senators to revisit the IWT was also rejected and Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani even stated that the House should annul a previously passed resolution in favour of revisiting the treaty when Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz told the panel that "we should not call for revisiting the treaty as India would love to revisit the treaty."
Responding to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's threat of blocking Pakistan's water, the minister for water and power said that Pakistan is already not receiving a 'single drop' of water from the eastern rivers, adding Modi's statement was just for the public consumption to befool Indian people. Water of three eastern rivers including Ravi, Sutlej and Biyass are already being used by India. "We've huge water resources and if we put our own house in order, we will not feel any threat of water scarcity in the future, no matter Indus Water Treat remains intact or not," he said, adding, "We are dropping the 'water bomb' on our own by wasting a huge water without any strategy to properly utilise the available resources."
However, he said that neither Pakistan nor India can abrogate IWT unilaterally; adding that Pakistan will never back down from its stance on the treaty. He said that Pakistan has presented the case before the WB and proceedings in this regard have been paused until the end of this month. He maintained that Pakistan's case is stronger than that of India's and the government will safeguard the national interests at all costs. He said that India wants that a neutral expert be appointed to resolve the issue, but Pakistan desires the case should be heard by the seven-member Court of Arbitration.
He said the treaty is an instrument to avoid wars, so Pakistan's focus has always remained on the implementation of treaty in letter and spirit, adding that the treaty remained intact during wars and Pakistan's delegation had even travelled to New Delhi during the 1965 war. He said that international community and the WB also want to continue the treaty in the future, adding the both countries are bound to follow the agreement in letter and spirit and no side could revoke it unilaterally. So far 112 meetings of the two sides have been held on water related issues under the IWT and 118 tours had been taken place since 1960 when the treaty was signed between the two countries, he added.
The minister also rejected the impression that India is using and storing more water than it is allowed under the treaty, adding India is even using and storing lesser water than it has the right under the treaty. He said that India has not constructed any dam on Chenab and Jhelum rivers but there are hydro projects, two on Chenab and three on Jhelum, but these projects are not blocking Pakistan's share of the water.
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, earlier, opposed a proposal by some senators, favouring to revisit the IWT, saying, "We should avoid calling for revisit of the treaty." He said that Pakistan, being lower riparian, has right reason of claiming its shares from the western rivers, adding that there is also a UN Convention which protects rights of the lower riparian.
The Committee of the Whole of Senate also passed a resolution calling upon the World Bank to fulfil its obligations in terms of IWT. The resolution says; "Whereas the World Bank brokered the water accord between Pakistan and India; whereas under the treaty no party can 'pause' performance of the obligations under the treaty and the position taken by the World Bank would only prevent Pakistan from approaching a competent forum and having its grievances addressed; the Committee of the Whole of the Senate of Pakistan calls upon the World Bank to fulfil its obligations in terms of the IWT."
On water issues with Afghanistan, Khawaja Asif said that Pakistan has an understanding with Afghanistan that "we will supply electricity to Afghanistan from our own system whenever it needs."
A joint secretary of the Ministry of Water and Power told the panel that Kabul River was contributing 16 million acres water during Kharif season that too when the country lacks availability of water in the system.
The official said that Afghanistan cannot block the water in the river even if it cultivates entire land on the Kabul River. However, he said that the ministry has set up a desk for negotiation with Afghanistan on the water issues.