Water treaty with India against country's interests: PPP leader

Lahore, Mar.19 (ANI): Describing the 1960 Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan against the interests of the country, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader Raja Riaz has said the government will take necessary step to the agreement.

Talking to media persons during a press conference here, Riaz said the water accord has caused great damage to Pakistan in the past, and that there is an urgent need to set things in order.

Riaz also blamed India of building dams and reservoirs on rivers that come in Pakistan's jurisdiction.

Islamabad has long been blaming New Delhi of violating the treaty by building dams over rivers which flows through India into Pakistan.

Pakistan has been opposing the construction of the Kishanganga hydropower project on Ganga River in Kashmir, which is called Neelum upon entering Pakistan.

Pakistan believes that the diversion of waters of Neelum is not allowed under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, and it will face a 27 per cent water deficit, when the project gets completed.

The reduced water flow in the Neelum would not yield the required results of the proposed 1.6 billion dollars Neelum-Jehlum hydropower project that has been designed to generate 969 MW of electricity.

It has said that India has almost completed a 22-kilometre long tunnel to divert Kishanganga waters to Wullar Lake in Jammu and Kashmir. (ANI)