India will make Pakistan barren in six years, says Pak official

India would make Pakistan a barren land in the next six years by blocking its water through construction of dams in violation of the Indus Water Treaty, Pakistan Indus Water Commissioner Jamaat Ali Shah said today.

Shah said India had constructed dams on various rivers and continued doing so in violation of the Indus Water Treaty. The treaty, he said, allowed New Delhi to generate electricity on the flow of the river, but said water to Pakistan cannot be stopped, the Daily Times reported today.

Dismissing India’s claim that it had stopped Pakistan’s water only from August 19 to 28, he said, “we do not accept the Indian point of view because India has stopped water till September 5 according to our estimate”.

The commissioner said that an Indian delegation was supposed to visit Pakistan on November 29 for discussions. Pakistan has formally complained to India about the alleged diversion of river waters to fill the Baglihar dam, claiming this was a violation of the Indus Water Treaty.

Pakistan Water and Power Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had earlier said that they would seek compensation from India in the form of additional discharge of water for the reduction of the flow of the Chenab from 55,000 cusecs to 22,000 cusecs.