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Pakistan marked World Water Day on Sunday with a strong call for urgent action on water scarcity, climate stress and equitable access, as both President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif highlighted the growing crisis and its social, economic and geopolitical dimensions.

This year’s theme — “Water and Gender: Where Water Flows, Equality Grows” — framed the day’s message.

President Asif Ali Zardari used the occasion to call on India to immediately restore full implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in line with its international obligations.

“This deliberate weaponisation of shared water resources is a matter of deep concern. India’s decision to place the treaty in abeyance, disrupt hydrological data-sharing, impede agreed mechanisms and undermines both the letter and spirit of a long-standing international agreement that has governed equitable sharing of the Indus River system for over six decades,” he said.

“Such conduct threatens food and economic security, jeopardises the livelihoods of millions who depend on these waters and sets a dangerous precedent for the management of transboundary resources under international law,” he added.

Highlighting the gender dimension of water insecurity, the president said that “water insecurity is not experienced equally”.

“Women and girls often carry the heaviest burden when safe water is not available close to home,” he said.

In his message, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned that Pakistan was facing an acute water crisis, with per capita water availability having declined from 5,260 cubic metres at the time of independence to below 1,000 cubic metres.

He noted that climate change, particularly erratic rainfall patterns and shifts in glacial systems, had further intensified these risks.

The prime minister stressed that water scarcity affects all aspects of daily life, including livelihoods and social structures, with women bearing a disproportionate burden at the household level.

In rural areas, especially water collection remains time-consuming, limiting educational and economic opportunities for women, he added.

He stressed that access to clean water was a fundamental human right and said the government was committed to ensuring women’s representation in water management and decision-making processes.

Outlining policy measures, the prime minister said the government was undertaking major reforms under the National Water Policy to safeguard future resources.