Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have stated that Pakistan firmly opposes any attempt to use water as a weapon of war, categorizing it as a severe breach of international law.

According to Radio Pakistan, on the occasion of World Wetlands Day, which is being observed today, the President reaffirmed Pakistan's dedication to the conservation and sustainable management of wetlands. He highlighted that Pakistan is a signatory to the Ramsar Convention 1971, which advocates for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands and their resources for current and future generations.

The President noted that the province of Sindh suffers disproportionately from the consequences of wetland degradation, historical water stress, and rising sea levels. He emphasized that the suspension of treaty mechanisms, such as the sharing of hydrological data, erodes trust and predictability at a time when climate pressures demand increased cooperation.

In his statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated Pakistan's commitment to international laws and the complete and equitable implementation of the Indus Water Treaty 1960. The Prime Minister asserted that Pakistan will persist in advocating globally for the fair, legal, and peaceful utilization of water resources among nations.

Shehbaz Sharif also stressed the importance of Pakistan's water resources, including lakes, glaciers, inland water bodies, and coastal and mangrove biodiversity, for environmental conservation, climate change mitigation, and water management.