President Pakistan Engineering Congress Engineer Riaz Ahmad Khan has stressed the need of water sharing treaty between Afghanistan and Pakistan on the basis of Helsinki rules of “equitable apportionment of waters” of common rivers. He was addressing the seminar on World Water Day on the theme of Water Co-operation organised by Pakistan Engineering Congress.
Advisor Wapda and water expert engineer Dr Chaudhry Mazhar Ali was the chief guest on the occasion. Riaz said that this co-operation will build mutual respect, understanding and trust between the two countries and promote peace, security and sustainable economic growth in the region.
Khan said that Pakistan shares the rivers of the Indus Basin with India, Afghanistan and Iran to some extent while legal mechanism exist between Pakistan and India on the other hand there is no similar mechanism is present between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Khan also said that there is an increasing competition in Pakistan on the usage of water between domestic, industrial and farm users. The rising imbalance between supply and demand has led to shortages and unhealthy competition leading to bitter feelings amongst the water users both at farm level and sub-basin and basin level.
