War on water imminent between Pakistan and India if water theft of Pakistani rivers not abandoned by India: Hafiz Zahoor ul Hassan

LAHROE: Chairman Indus Water Council Pakistan (IWCP) and chief coordinator World Water Assembly (WWA) Hafiz Zahoor ul Hassan has warned war being feared by the world on water will start between Pakistan and India if the latter does not abandon the plan of perpetuating its occupation on Pakistani rivers adding this war will transform into nuclear war in future.

He said this while addressing a hurriedly called press conference here Wednesday. He told prime minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani had arrived in Sharm El Sheikh and he would meet his Indian counterpart Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Talks would take place between the two prime ministers for establishment of durable peace in the region besides burying the differences and bitterness, he added.

Citizens of both Pakistan and India were also eager for normalization of relations between both the neighboring countries, he told. However river water issue after Kashmir issue had taken shape of a major conflict between Pakistan and India, he cautioned.

India was continuing with the construction of more than 62 illegal dams over rivers of Chenab, Jhelum and Sindh under the pretext of generation of electricity, which was a sheer breach of Indus water treaty, he underlined. . Pakistan had held meetings for 131 times at the level of Indus Water Commission and 13 times at the level of senior leadership of both the countries in this respect but no outcome had come from India on this count, he added.

President Asif Ali Zardari had acknowledged Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said in unequivocal terms at New York that India would abide by Indus water treaty. Later Manmohan Singh formally inaugurated Baglihar Dam and water flow into river Chenab was stopped. This led to acute shortage of water in 15 districts of Punjab and 6 districts of Sindh. South Punjab was also facing shortage of 60 percent water, he maintained.