Kalabagh Dam is the surest and fastest way to water security of Pakistan: Experts
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ISLAMABAD - The one-day international conference “Pakistan’s Water Security Policy: Famine Threat and Future Challenges” was organised by the Pakistan House on Monday at a local hotel.
The conference mainly focused on exploring the extent to which Pakistan is affected by droughts and famines, and their causes and effects. The conference was also aimed at reviewing the state of water security in Pakistan and devising new approaches to ensure water security for a large population.
Former Defence Secretary Lt Gen (retd) Asif Yasin Malik HI(M), in his welcoming remarks, said, “Water security has new dimensions and its impacts are beyond borders”.
“India is choking our resources by limiting our water resources. No single reservoir was constructed and political interests have ganged up against the future and survival of the country,” said Malik as he opined that Kalabagh dam should be a major manifesto in the coming elections and a referendum should be held on the issue as “it is the quickest and surest solution to the problem”.
Former ambassador Salman Bashir insisted on the right of every citizen to get safe and adequate water and called for working towards sensitising political spectrum towards water security for a sustainable future.
He also stressed the need for developing regional approach to resolve water issues, saying that the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) could be utilised in the context.
“Pakistan and India can both benefit from regional initiatives like Saarc and it should not be politicised. Dispute resolution should be focused upon, and international community must persuade India for resolving issues related to water,” he said.
He also called upon parliamentarians to undertake legislative measures and factor in water development policies.
“Building water storage capacity should be a top priority as water is both a federal and provincial subject,” said Salman as he suggested that Pakistan and China should collaborate in water technology to improve distribution channels.
