ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to the conservation and sustainable management of wetlands.
On the occasion of World Wetlands Day, being observed today, the President said Pakistan is a signatory to the Ramsar Convention 1971.which promotes the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands and their resources for present and future generations.
The President said Sindh bears a disproportionate burden due to wetland degradation, historical water stress and sea-level rise.
He said protecting these ecosystems is not only an environmental responsibility but also a matter of public welfare and national 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.