Lahore: Coordinator to Federal Tax Ombudsman Saif Ur Rehman said on Sunday that durable peace was essential for sustained economic growth and prosperity, stressing that Pakistan could not compromise on its water rights.
According to a spokesperson, addressing a seminar on ‘Implementation of Indus Waters Treaty’ at Punjab University, he said the Indus River and its tributaries were Pakistan’s lifeline, adding that the country could not allow its water resources to be used as a means of pressure.
He said India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) had become a major source of tension between the two countries. He recalled that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had also raised the issue at the UN General Assembly, making it clear that diverting Pakistan’s water would amount to an act of war.
Saif Ur Rehman noted that the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague had also made it clear in August that the IWT could not be unilaterally suspended.
Dean and Head of the Department of Communication and Media Research Prof Dr Noshina Saleem said Pakistan must continue pursuing its legitimate rights over the Indus waters and raise the issue at international forums.
She said unilateral actions against the IWT could threaten regional stability and global water governance, adding that all outstanding issues should be resolved through dialogue and international law to avoid further conflict in South Asia.