BY: Hurish Shah / FT
ISLAMABAD –National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has said water security is directly linked to Pakistan’s food security, economic stability and national security, stressing the need for a long-term national strategy to address the country’s growing water challenges.
Addressing a parliamentary seminar on water governance at Parliament House, Ayaz Sadiq said water was no longer merely a sectoral issue but had become a critical national security matter. He called for political consensus and said water was a national issue beyond political differences.
The Speaker urged federal and provincial governments to prioritize water harvesting, recycling systems, reservoirs and small dams, while emphasizing better coordination between the Centre and provinces.
He also called for effective implementation of the National Water Policy, transparent use of funds for water projects, modern technology, reduction of water wastage and restoration of groundwater resources.
Ayaz Sadiq criticized India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, describing it as a violation of international law and stressing the need for Pakistan to develop sustainable solutions and strengthen its water-storage capacity.
Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan had not built a new water reservoir in the last 50 years and stressed the need to increase existing storage capacity and construct new reservoirs amid climate change and growing water scarcity.
Ahsan Iqbal also described India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty as water weaponization and called for stronger infrastructure to protect Pakistan’s water security.
Convenor of the Parliamentary Task Force on SDGs Shaista Pervaiz emphasized that water security involved not only availability but also sustainable use and effective management of water resources.
The seminar was attended by parliamentarians, senior government officials and representatives of international organizations, including the UNDP, World Bank, WaterAid, UNICEF and IWMI.
