'Water issue can trigger next Indo-Pak war'

Water issue can trigger Indo-Pak war: Gilani adviser

January 03, 2010 16:32 IST

The sharing of river waters between India and Pakistan is a "sensitive issue" that has the potential for triggering a war between the two countries, an adviser to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said.

Sardar Aseff Ali, who is also deputy chairman of the planning commission, made the remarks while speaking to the media after a seminar in Lahore oN Saturday. He claimed India "will have to stop stealing Pakistan's water as the latter will not hesitate to wage war" over the issue. Pakistan might seek international arbitration on the water issue by taking it up with the International Court of Justice or the UN Security Council if India tries to build any more dams that affect the country's share of waters, Ali said.

Pakistan can also back out of the Indus

Waters Treaty and India will be responsible for the consequences, he said.However, Ali also acknowledged that a solution to the problem cannot be found through sentimental rhetoric and the Indus Waters Treaty is the proper forum for resolving theissue. Replying to a question on India's Baglihar dam, Ali said former President Pervez Musharraf was responsible for this project being built without any protest from Pakistan. India had reportedly served two notices to Musharraf's regime before building the dam but the government did not respond to them, Ali claimed.

The Musharraf regime only raised a hue and cry when the dam had become operational, he claimed. Pakistan lost the arbitration case because of an inordinate delay by Musharraf in tackling the issue, he said.

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Rezaul H Laskar in Islamabad