NEW DELHI: Dismissing demands by some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that Delhi provide more water to Pakistan, Indian Home Secretary GK Pillai on Wednesday said Pakistan was getting more water than it was entitled to under the Indus Water Treaty (IWT).
Calling the charges of water terrorism against Islamabad “absurd”, the home secretary said, “There have been 200 joint inspections since Independence, to which Pakistan too has signed and has had no complaints. They are getting more water than they are entitled to.”
Speaking at a seminar, he called for a more pro-active approach to apprise the public and the world about “the reality of the water issue”.
“We have not put up our side across. We should put out a paper on what is happening. With Pakistan, the communication is more one-way and they do not want to listen,” he said.
Also speaking at the occasion, former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal said Islamabad wanted the water issue to be on the agenda of any talks and that India would lose out on strategy by agreeing to do so. “We have lost half the battle by allowing Pakistan to raise the issue. There is actually no issue. Hafiz Saeed and Pakistan are hammering away on the issue of water. There is a treaty and if there are any issues, there is a mechanism in the treaty to address them,” he said. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\03\11\story_11-3-2010_pg7_10
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