Include water dispute in talks with India: Pakistan senate

The Indus river issue featured again in Pakistan's parliament with the senate passing a unanimous resolution to include the water dispute in the agenda for any dialogue with India.

Mushahid Hussain, senator from the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q), Monday asked the government not to show haste in granting most favoured nation (MFN) status to India and to wait till a new government was installed in New Delhi this year, Dawn reported Tuesday.

Senator Sughra Imam of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), who moved the resolution, said "Pakistan ranked 31st among the most stressed countries in terms of water resources and, therefore, steps were needed to stop India from violating the water treaty".

"If this issue is not included in the agenda for talks, it can lead to further conflicts," she added.

The PPP senator said the timing of the release of water in the rivers at present was totally under control of India and the issue was critical in terms of food security in Pakistan.

Talha Mehmood called for seeking the help of the international community in preventing India from violating the water treaty.

The resolution was passed despite Leader of the House Raja Zafarul Haq's announcement that the government had already added the issue in the agenda for talks.