gamaji
Registered Member
There is no need for Pakistan to panic if India withdraws from Indus Water Treaty or tries to abolish it. Rather Pakistan should join hands with India in doing that. Such an eventuality will, in fact, provide Pakistan with a golden opportunity to claim and demand for a more equitable and reasonable utilization of water from all rivers flowing down the Himalayas.
This treaty has been very unfair for Pakistani people, a disaster for the environment, and a blackmailing tool in the hands of an extremely prejudice and selfish state of India. There is no reason for Pakistan to continuously be the subject to Indian blackmailing. Several different international laws specify the water rights of upper riparian and lower riparian countries. So, Pakistan has better options to ensure its rights for an equitable utilization of water from all rivers flowing from Himalayas.
With the rising global warming and climate change, the world is moving towards a more conscious and specifically charted course that considers the environment, human rights, and health/drinking water needs of all countries. All people have the basic right to have clean drinking and agri water. There is no place for blackmailing in that. The Indus Water Treaty unfortunately contradicts all these global norms.
Drying up three large rivers has disastrous environmental effect for the people of Pakistan. Think of all the birds, animals, plants, land, and humans that have been deprived of natural and clean water that they have been serving as their lifeline for centuries. Even worse, dried up river-beds, sometimes flowing rain and sewerage water become a source of disease and health hazard. A significant Pakistani population have been deprived of its lifeline. On top of that a sick-minded criminal, the disgraced butcher of Gujrat, tries to malign Pakistan by threatening to divert the water from the remaining three rivers.
In short, this unfair Indus Water Treaty is extremely stumbling block for Pakistani people. If Indus Water Treaty is abolished (unilaterally by India or in agreement with Pakistan), it will allow Pakistan to claim much better water rights according to the international laws. There are several of these laws offering multiple choices to Pakistan.
The UN Watercourses Convention (1997)
The Helsinki Rules (1966) — Non-binding but influential
The Berlin Rules (2004) — Updated version of Helsinki Rules
All these laws are available for those countries that do not have or are unable to sign bilateral treaties.
