On Monday, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated Pakistan’s dedication to preserving and sustainably managing its wetlands.
Marking World Wetlands Day, President Zardari highlighted Pakistan’s role as a signatory of the 1971 Ramsar Convention, which advocates for the protection and sustainable use of wetland ecosystems for the benefit of current and future generations.
He pointed out that the province of Sindh bears a particularly heavy burden due to wetland degradation, chronic water scarcity, and the impacts of rising sea levels.
The President stressed that safeguarding these vital ecosystems goes beyond environmental duty—it is essential for public well-being and strengthening the nation’s resilience.
President Zardari said Pakistan remains concerned over unilateral actions by India affecting the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, a legally binding agreement that has governed equitable water sharing in the Indus Basin for decades.
He said the suspension of treaty mechanisms, including the sharing of hydrological data, undermines trust and predictability when climate pressures require greater cooperation.
The President said water must never be used as a tool of coercion, and the weaponization of water as an instrument of war against Pakistan must be rejected, as the disruption of river flows threatens millions of lives, livelihoods, and food systems in a country reliant on the Indus Basin.
In his message, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan strongly rejects any attempt to use water as a weapon of war, deeming it a serious violation of international law.
He said Pakistan, while adhering to international laws, believes in the full and fair implementation of the Indus Water Treaty 1960.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan will continue to raise its voice globally for the fair, legal and peaceful use of water resources between countries.
Shehbaz Sharif emphasized that our water resources, including lakes and glaciers, inland water bodies and coastal and mangrove biodiversity, are crucial for environmental conservation, climate change mitigation and water management. He said the conservation of water resources is not just an environmental duty to combat climate change but also a guarantee of individual and collective social welfare.
Source: Dunya News
