LAHORE, Oct 4: Coordinator to the Federal Tax Ombudsman Saif Ur Rehman on Sunday said durable peace was of paramount importance and a key prerequisite for achieving sustainable economic growth and prosperity.

Addressing a seminar on “Implementation of Indus Waters Treaty” organized by the Department of Communication and Media Research, School of Communication Studies, Punjab University, he said the Indus River and its tributaries were Pakistan’s lifeline and the country could not allow India to use its precious water resources as a tool for blackmail.

He said India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) had emerged as the biggest source of bilateral friction in the subcontinent.

Saif Ur Rehman said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had also raised the issue while addressing the United Nations General Assembly last week, making it clear that diverting Pakistan’s water would amount to an act of war.

He said the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague had clearly held in August that the Indus Waters Treaty could not be unilaterally suspended.

Dean and Head of the Department of Communication and Media Research Prof Dr Noshina Saleem said Pakistan must continue to pursue its legitimate rights concerning the Indus waters.

She said Pakistan should also highlight the double standards allegedly adopted by India, which claimed to uphold global norms while, according to her, violating international law.

Quoting the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, she said India’s unilateral action regarding the Indus Waters Treaty could pose a threat to global water governance.

Prof Dr Noshina Saleem warned that if the dispute was allowed to persist and India took further steps to restrict Pakistan’s share of water, a new conflict in South Asia could become possible.

She stressed that, to avoid such a situation, “saner elements” in India should work towards restoring the Indus Waters Treaty and resolving all outstanding issues through civilized dialogue.