PM Abbasi, chief ministers unanimously approve first-ever National Water Policy

E-Paper | March 11, 2026

The Council of Common Interest (CCI) in its 37th meeting held at the PM Office on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in chair, unanimously approved the first-ever National Water Policy (NWP) of Pakistan.

The chief ministers of the four provinces and senior officials attended the meeting in which Sartaj Aziz, the deputy chairman of Planning Commission of Pakistan, briefed the CCI on the draft of the policy.

Aziz said the policy has been prepared after consultation with all major stakeholders and a national level seminar was also held to reach a consensus. Proposals presented in the 36th CCI meeting have also been incorporated in the policy, he added.

Salient features of National Water Policy

Water use and allocation on priority
Integrated planning for development and use of water resources
Environmental integrity of the Basin
Impact of climate change
Trans-boundary water sharing
Irrigated and rain-fed agriculture
Drinking water and sanitation
Hydropower and industry uses
Ground water resources
Water rights and obligations
Sustainable water infrastructure
Water related hazards
Quality management
Awareness and research
Conservation measures
Legal framework and capacity building of water sector institutions

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi along with chief ministers of the four provinces signs "Pakistan Water Charter". —APP

During the meeting, the CCI was briefed about the implementation of NWP will be undertaken through a national level body namely National Water Council (NWC) to be chaired by the prime minister and comprising federal ministers for water resources; finance; power; planning development and reforms and all provincial chief ministers as members.

In the meeting, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government presented a brief on implementation of Kazi Committee Methodology (KCM) for calculation of Net Hydel Profits (NHP).

After deliberation, the CCI directed the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination, Planning Commission of Pakistan and Ministry of Water Resources to reconcile the claims in consultation with the provinces and resubmit the issue for decision in the next CCI meeting.

Later, the prime minister along with the four chief ministers signed the Pakistan Water Charter pledging commitment to the National Water Policy.

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Samih Khan

Apr 24, 2018 08:53pm

What about building dams and water pollution in rivers and seas?

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Ayesha Sadozai

Apr 24, 2018 09:07pm

A positive step. But many other aspects need to be discussed further and agreements made.

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Apr 24, 2018 09:20pm

Where are jobs for civil engineers.

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My Advice

Apr 24, 2018 09:45pm

What about water tanker mafia, stealing water from public water supply than selling it back to same public, making money and giving some commission to high officials?

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Political connoisseur

Apr 24, 2018 09:50pm

Sounds good, but no mention of Dams. The water shortages problems can be solved by building Dams, and artificial Lakes, on priority basis.

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Apr 24, 2018 10:00pm

What do you mean by 'stakeholders'? People of Pakistan are the stakeholders.

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SHAHID SATTAR

Apr 24, 2018 10:01pm

Any consensus on building of new dam? Any grievances of the lower riparian heard with action to remove the same in a manner acceptable to him promised to be implemented in a given time frame.?

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Arif

Apr 24, 2018 10:22pm

we need to build water storage in the mountains in front of every little stream not just for electricity but we are also lacking clean drinking water.

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some-honesty

Apr 24, 2018 10:28pm

@Samih Khan Move one step at a time forward.

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Lahori kid

Apr 24, 2018 10:55pm

What took so long ? On the 37th meeting, these guys finally figured it out ?

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Lahori kid

Apr 24, 2018 10:56pm

Thank you CJP for getting these leaders to finally do something about what they were elected for, for for the betterment of the people of Pakistan.

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Lahori kid

Apr 24, 2018 10:57pm

Let me guess, PML-N has one more deal they can brag about. We brought clean drinking water to people.

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MSA

Apr 24, 2018 10:58pm

There is no mention of sources of water. You need dams and other means to store water, water plants to process water and distribution system to transport water to the user. No such effort was ever made for water supply. You need to hire a consultant to plan water supply for the whole country. It is not a job for the committees like this one. You don't seem to understand the problem. It's a job to be done by the professionals. Government should only be prepared to spend money on this top priority.

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Apr 24, 2018 11:21pm

Our bureaucrats prepare great reports and policy papers. The problem is that nothing ever gets implemented.

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Sameer

Apr 24, 2018 11:27pm

Another NAP. Those signing are the ones who got us into this mess.

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M. Saeed

Apr 24, 2018 11:28pm

Where is the talk about building world's largest water storage dam of 22 MAF capacity already planned and basically designed by the British Consultants 51 years ago, in Lower Punjab/Upper Sindh?

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Asim

Apr 24, 2018 11:39pm

@Political connoisseur sustainable water infrastructure and conservation measures would have covered dams.

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Shaffiq Mahmood

Apr 24, 2018 11:49pm

Of course they all agreed. The provinces and federation have failed to provide clean drinking water to 10s of millions. Now CJP is after them, they suddenly come up with a Water Policy, and agree it in record time.

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Abbasshah

Apr 25, 2018 12:03am

The IrSa&government must take serious steps to Allow Arid rain fed lands at the bank of TerbelaDam lake at Huripur across River dore with thousands of villages of HAZARA to be irrigated to improve their agriculture out puts as the r victims of low rain falls &keep praying for its fall every year.While being upper Riverian lands its their right that farmers of the area must have access to use its water also. As the people r poor can’t stage protest s to ask the government to install Iirrigation systems at the lake for irrigation purposes.

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Aqib

Apr 25, 2018 12:13am

One of the very few positive news, though a PTI supporter happy to see PMLN govt. talking looming water crisis seriously..

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Fazal Karim.

Apr 25, 2018 12:13am

What about safe drinking water for all, most important thing is omitted. The most worrying is mass scale pollution of water courses and reservoirs.

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Syed

Apr 25, 2018 03:49am

Thanks to Imran .. This mafia is under stress from justice system.. it's too late you all need to go...

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Syed Hussain

Apr 25, 2018 04:31am

Introduce desalination plants integrated with solar power production in the coastal areas. It will provide clean water, energy as well as solve a major problem of clean water and health.

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Main hoon na

Apr 25, 2018 04:35am

This is the kind of government I want for future generations! Long live PML-N.

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Azmeen

Apr 25, 2018 05:02am

A good initiative. Wish that happened in 70s when the first consensus constitution was adopted.

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Dr.M.S.Awan

Apr 25, 2018 06:55am

It is a good omen and good start.Pakistan is a water stressed country.It is facing water shortage and these shortages are going to be more acute in future.Pakistan needs more reservoirs and water conservation strategies.

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Dr Ahmad - Melbourne

Apr 25, 2018 07:11am

National water policy without water......

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Biswas Pradhan

Apr 25, 2018 08:09am

Kala Bagh Dam should be built to overcome water shortages & storage for future generations

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Ravi

Apr 25, 2018 09:15am

At last after 70 years a policy comes up for an important resource.

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A Pakistani

Apr 25, 2018 12:07pm

A positive sign where there is no mention of dams which are the cause of national disintegration. Dams are only suggested by those who prefer irrigation in some districts of Punjab over the national integration.

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