ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal on Sunday said that the country is formulating a comprehensive national policy in consultation with all four provinces to counter “Indian water aggression”.
Inaugurating the newly established Engineers’ Lounge at the Institution of Engineers Pakistan in Lahore, the planning minister said the policy would safeguard Pakistan’s water resources in the face of ongoing regional challenges.
The Minister announced the formation of a special technical committee comprised of water experts and engineers to develop technically sound solutions for water disputes and related challenges.
Emphasising the critical role of engineering in national progress, he called for the active involvement of engineers in a national mission to tackle Pakistan’s pressing issues.
Ahsan Iqbal described the country’s engineers as a vital national asset, whose talent and dedication must be fully utilised to drive the development agenda.
He reaffirmed the government’s strong support for all engineering institutions in this shared mission.
It may be recalled that India, in April, held the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance after the attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26.
Pakistan termed any attempt to suspend its water share an ‘act of war.’
Meanwhile, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague last month rejected India’s attempt to unilaterally suspend the agreement.
The court observed that there is no provision in the treaty allowing for its suspension by one party, and that dispute resolution mechanisms would remain in force regardless of unilateral declarations.
Pakistan had welcomed the Supplemental Award announced by the Court of Arbitration in the Indus Waters Treaty case, urging India to immediately resume the normal functioning of the treaty.
