Prof Dr Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri warns of challenges to IWT

Deputy Chairman, Board of Governors of Minhaj University Lahore (MUL) and renowned expert of economic affairs, Prof Dr Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri has drawn the attention of the government to an issue of immense importance vis-à-vis the economic future and survival of Pakistan. He said that the news is coming via social media that India has planned to scrap the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) 1960. He said that there is a talk of the first notice served on Pakistan on January 25, 2023 wherein it was said that if the Prime Minister of Pakistan did not answer within 90 days, the Indus Water Treaty would be considered to have been rescinded and that India would establish his control on the water flowing into Pakistan.

Prof Dr Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri said that though IWT is an international agreement of which World Bank is a guarantor, the news and speculations of its being rescinded are deeply worrying. He said that the federal cabinet, parliament and Foreign Office should take notice of the news doing the rounds on social media and clarify the situation in the light of facts. He said that only a policy statement can help address the concerns in this regard.

Deputy Chairman, BoG, said that there are credible reports that say that Pakistan is likely to join the league of the water stressed countries by 2030. He said that if such a scenario comes to pass, it would not only damage our agriculture but also lead to a massive food crisis. He said that Pakistan is passing through one of the most challenging times in its history where domestic, economic, political and energy crises have sucked the attention, making the authorities remain focused on the domestic issues to the exclusion of the international matters that are concerned with Pakistan’s future.

Dr Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri said that Pakistan is one of the largest countries in terms of population and its water needs are increasing by the day. He said that the water experts have drawn up the landscape for the country if no serious efforts are made to conserve water and address the water woes. He said that if a solid plan of action is not worked out, Pakistan may unfortunately be rendered into a desert. “The government and other responsible institutions should take notice of the media reports and come forward with a policy statement,” he added.