ISLAMABAD: The Senate passed on Monday a resolution asking the government to “revisit” the 46-year-old Indus Waters Treaty on water sharing with India.
The house adopted the resolution moved by PPP’s Dr Karim Ahmed Khawaja through a voice vote after Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali opposed the move, terming it “impossible”.
The minister’s response angered some opposition members who accused the government of lacking will for resolving the issues which could even lead to a war between the two countries.
“Everything is possible if you have faith and will to do it,” said Tahir Mashhadi of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement. He stressed the need for revisiting the treaty as the country’s economy and agriculture had been suffering because of climate change and water scarcity.
Supporting the resolution, Farhatullah Babar and Sherry Rehman of PPP called for making the issue of Indus Waters Treaty a part of the “composite dialogue” with India. Ms Rehman said Pakistan was among top 10 water stressed countries of the world.
Newly appointed parliamentary leader of the ruling PML-N Mushahidullah Khan reminded the PPP leaders that former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had also played a role in the signing and implementation of the treaty which was signed by then military dictator Ayub Khan and Indian Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1960.
“The PPP assumed power four times since the signing of this treaty. Why did the party not include it in the agenda of the comprehensive dialogue with India?” Mr Khan asked.
The PPP senators said the situation and conditions had changed over the past 46 years and that the government should keep the future threat to the country in mind instead of reopening settled issues. Veteran PPP leader Taj Haider said Mr Bhutto had joined the Ayub Khan cabinet in 1962, two years after the treaty and that the former prime minister had once told them that there were some “secret clauses” in the treaty as well.
“This House recommends that (the) government should revisit Indus Waters Treaty 1960 in order to make new provisions in the treaty so that Pakistan may get more water for its rivers,” says the resolution read out by mover Mr Khawaja.
He said there were certain flaws in the treaty under which Pakistan had been given control of three western rivers and India over three eastern rivers.
Abid Sher Ali said the treaty could not be revisited without the consent of the two countries, adding that legal opinion should be sought on the issue and all clauses of the treaty reviewed before making any such demand.
Acting Chairman Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, however, put the resolution for a voice vote, ignoring the minister’s proposal.
The Senate also unanimously passed a resolution asking the government to purchase electronic voting machines to ensure holding of elections in a free, fair and transparent manner. The resolution was moved by Azam Swati of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.http://www.dawn.com/news/1244274/senate-asks-govt-to-revisit-indus-waters-treaty
Comments are closed.