Pakistan will foil Indian water aggression with full force, says PM Shehbaz
Adds non-controversial dams in country to be built at earliest; Forms committee to find means of funding of new water reservoirs
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday that the unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty by India was a water aggression, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Chairing an important meeting on water-related issues held at the PM House in Islamabad, the prime minister said that just like Pakistan launched Operation Bunyanun Marsoos to give a befitting reply to India, similarly, it would respond to the water aggression by a hostile neighbour in light of the decisions taken at the National Security Committee’s April 24 meeting. “Hopefully, Pakistan will emerge triumphant in this battle as well,” he added. He said that the Center and all federating units would have to work on new water reservoirs in the country. “Non-controversial dams will be completed on a war footing,” he said, adding, “New dams will be built with the consensus of all provinces.”
The meeting had a detailed discussion on chalking out a strategy to build new dams in the country.
The prime minister, the chief ministers of four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and the prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) all condemned water aggression by India and expressed the resolve to stand by the government at this juncture.
They vowed to ensure the water security of the country.
PM Shehbaz, on the occasion, formed a committee, headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, which would prepare its recommendations regarding the funding of new dams and submit its report to the prime minister within 72 hours.
Besides Dar, other members of the committee are chief ministers of the four provinces and GB, PM of AJK and concerned federal ministers.
The meeting was briefed in detail about the country’s water resources.
It was informed that work was underway on the Diamer Bhasha Dam and it would be completed by 2032, while the Mohmand Dam would be built by 2027.
The meeting was told that presently there were 11 dams in the country, whose water storage capacity stood at 15.318 million acre feet.
The meeting was briefed that work on the construction of 32 small and big dams under the PSDP was also in progress.
Reporter: Awais Kiani