Indus Water Treaty suspension: Pak will build its water storage capacity, says Shehbaz Sharif
Sharif accuses India of taking steps against the Indus Water Treaty and says Pak will build its own storage capacity using available resources and infrastructure
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday (July 1) reportedly said that in view of India’s decision to suspend the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) following the Pahalgham terror attack, his government has decided to enhance the country’s water storage capacity.
Addressing a gathering during his visit to the National Emergencies Operations Centre, the Pakistani prime minister alleged that India had “no authority” to suspend the treaty “unilaterally”, said a report in The Dawn.
‘Non-controversial water storage capacity’
The report said that Sharif accused India of seeking to “take steps” against the IWT. “For that, the government has decided that we will build our water storage,” The Dawn quoted him as saying.
Sharif also said that Pakistan would build “non-controversial water storage capacity” by using available resources and infrastructure, including the Diamer Bhasha dam.
The report further stated that the IWT had a clear clause on building water capacity. Sharif also said that in the next few years, Pakistan would increase its water storage capacity utilising its own resources, adding that the National Disaster Management Authority would play a crucial role in the initiative.
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‘Resilient infrastructure’
Referring to the devastating floods in Pakistan in 2022, the Sharif said that the concerned ministries have negotiated grants and considered public-private partnership for building “resilient infrastructure” in the country, for which his government would extend full support.
His comment comes days after India brushed aside former Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s threat that Pakistan would go to war if India denies its share of water under the IWT.
India dismisses Bilawal's threat
Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil said that India was not concerned about such “false threats”. He also said that the water would not go anywhere.
Earlier, Home Minister Amit Shah had announced that India would never restore the IWT.
“The attack on Sindhu (Indus River) and India’s claim that the IWT has ended and it’s in abeyance. Firstly, this is illegal, as the IWT is not in abeyance, it is binding on Pakistan and India, but the threat itself of stopping water is illegal according to the UN charter,” stated Bhutto during an earlier speech in Parliament as quoted by PTI.