Former National Defence University president Lieutenant General (retd) Amir Riaz said on Tuesday that stopping Pakistan's water would amount to a direct attack on the country's fundamental national interests.
Addressing an international seminar on the Indus Waters Treaty in Islamabad, he said international experts and the World Bank played a key role during the negotiations.
Indus Waters Treaty talks spanned decade
Riaz said negotiations on the treaty continued for 10 years before a settlement was reached. He said no upper riparian state could stop the flow of water to a lower riparian state.
He said any move by India to stop Pakistan's water would be contrary to international principles. Riaz said India had unlawfully stopped the flow of water from the eastern rivers to Pakistan in April 1948.
Waters system underpins Pakistan’s agriculture
Riaz said the Indus Waters Treaty emerged from an important historical development. Amir Riaz said any attempt to seize or restrict water resources posed a serious threat to Pakistan's national security.
He said Pakistan's life, development and prosperity were closely linked to the Indus river system.
Riaz said the Indus Waters System supported Pakistan's agriculture, economy and energy requirements. Amir Riaz said the Indus river system supplied water to one of the world's largest irrigation networks.
