Daily Times

India is using water resources of Afghanistan as a weapon against Pakistan which should be countered, The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) said on Sunday.

India is supporting the construction of twelve dams in Afghanistan which will reduce the availability of water resulting in severe consequences to the masses, agriculture, and industry, it said.

A water-sharing agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan has become imperative, otherwise the water issue can spark a war, said PEW Chairman Brigadier Muhammad Aslam Khan (R).

India is employing everything in its power, including water terrorism to destabilise Pakistan, for which billions of dollars are being spent, he said in a statement.

Pakistan is getting 25 million acre-foot water from River Kabul while India wants to reduce the water supply as much as possible to damage Pakistan, Khan said.

Afghanistan has every right to use water for the welfare of the population as seventy-two percent of Kabul residents have no access to the clean water, but Afghanistan has no right to become a destabilising tool for New Delhi, said the chairman.

The Kabul River and its tributaries provide an important source of livelihood for nearly 25 million people living around the basin and that population is expected to increase to 37 million by 2050, he said.

He noted that some of the opponents of Kalabagh Dam have shown some flexibility which is very heartening.