February 10, 2017
President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF), President AKIA, Senior Vice Chairman of the Businessmen Panel of FPCCI and former Provincial Minister Mian Zahid Hussain on Friday said Afghanistan has become part of the Indian conspiracy to make Pakistan a desert.
India has already constructed dozens of dams while hundreds are under construction hitting Pakistan’s share of water and damaging our economy badly, he said.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that Indian moves have left the formula to share 18.5 million acre foot (MAF) of water useless which has resulted in tensions and can transform in a bloody conflict.
He said that now Afghanistan is constructing over a dozen dams costing over seven billion dollars which will have a capacity of store five MAF of water. These dams will reduce Pakistan’s water share in River Kabul by 17 percent hitting people of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa and FATA.
The business leader said that Pashtun population living on this side of the Durand Line has already suffered from exploitation, lack of opportunities, natural calamities and military operations which had destroyed the economy of that area.
He said that relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have never remained cordial which has resulted in frictions and economic losses to the tune of trillions of dollars.
The situation on the other side of the Durand Line cannot be dubbed very different meaning that over fifty million Pashtun population continue to suffer and will suffer more in case of water dispute between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Former Minister added.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that both countries should try to find a solution to resolve the issue otherwise masses will suffer and the outcome will not be in the interest of any country.
