AGP Mansoor Usman Awan briefs Senate Committee regarding Kishanganga Hydro Power Project & Ratle Hydro Power Project

ISLAMABAD, Oct 04 (SABAH): The Senate Committee of Law and Justice under the Chairmanship of Senator Barrister Syed Ali Zafar held a very crucial in-camera meeting in which the illegal Indian designs of Kishanganga and Ratle hydropower projects on the Pakistani rivers of Jehlum and Chenab were discussed in great detail. During the meeting, the Committee reviewed ongoing water dispute with India in the Court of Arbitration in Hague and several questions were asked.

In a solemn moment, the committee began by offering prayers for the late Senator Rana Maqbool Ahmed and paying homage to his dedicated service to the nation.

The session featured a comprehensive briefing by Pakistan’s Attorney General, Mansoor Usman Awan, on the Kishanganga Hydro Power Project and Ratle Hydro Power Project. The Attorney General outlined the progress made, emphasizing the engagement of top-tier technical and legal experts to handle the matter, marking a significant diplomatic achievement for Pakistan by engaging India on the matter.

Senator Syed Ali Zafar said that this is a war that India (which controls the flow of all five rivers into Pakistan) began waging upon Pakistanis since long ago. He stated that India is trying to steal this precious resource of water from us which requires Pakistan to uncompromisingly take up this critical battle because our survival depends on it. He commented that the issues of terrorism, rising prices, corruption, and political disputes are all surmountable but if we don’t aggressively come up with countermoves of our own and effectively respond to the attack on our waters, the consequences will be irreversible.

Chairman Committee Barrister Syed Ali Zafar pointed out further that Pakistan is already facing a water shortage, with experts predicting that it will run dry by 2025 unless immediate action is taken. If there is any adverse impact of the arbitration then it will be the biggest catastrophe for Pakistan. He warned that if India succeeds in its nefarious designs, then we will face famine and be unable to feed the growing population. The members of the Committee also agreed with Chairman Syed Ali Zafar. They also commented that there is no greater threat than the threat to our waters and that Pakistan needs a fool-proof defensive as well as offensive strategy to protect our waters.

The committee expressed satisfaction with the overall discussion and lauded the preparedness of the attorney general and his team.

Looking ahead, the committee also expressed its intent to call upon key officials, including the Commissioner for Indus Waters, Syed Muhammad Mehar Ali Shah, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources, for further deliberation on this critical matter in the upcoming in-camera meeting.

The Attorney General of Pakistan, Secretary Ministry of Law and Justice accompanied by officials from the Ministry and other concerned office holders attended the meeting.