Tarar calls Indus Waters Treaty an instrument of peace at Islamabad seminar

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Tuesday that the Indus Waters Treaty should be seen as a foundation for peace and stability in the region, as he opened a seminar in Islamabad focused on the agreement’s legal and constitutional dimensions.

The event is under way at the Jinnah Convention Centre and is aimed at highlighting the framework of the treaty. In his opening remarks, Tarar said the discussion was not limited to a legal document but concerned a matter central to Pakistan’s people.

Addressing participants, the minister said the treaty was tied to the lives of millions in the country. "Today, we are not merely discussing the treaty. We are discussing the lifeline of nearly 240 million people of Pakistan," he said.

Tarar also linked the issue to Pakistan’s historical identity, referring to the Indus Valley civilisation. "When we identify ourselves as Pakistanis, we ask a question as to who we are. And if you go back into history, the Indus water civilisation defines us as people. Whenever I go abroad, I always tell my counterparts that we are the people of the Indus Valley civilisation," he said.