PESHAWAR, Nov 3: Speakers at a one-day seminar on Friday vowed to safeguard the rights of the Pakhtun people and the water supply plan from River Indus to Islamabad and Rawalpindi in the name of drinking water scheme would not be allowed to materialise.

The seminar was organised by the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) at the Peshawar Press Club to discuss the government’s plan of diverting water of the Indus to Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The seminar was presided over by PMAP provincial president Mukhtar Khan Yusufzai.

ANP’s additional general secretary Afrasiab Khattak said that a decision had already been taken by the Punjab-dominated establishment to provide water from the Indus to twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi and “it is now our turn to make a decision in this connection”.

He said that the same lobby was trying to get control of the natural gas found in the Karak district. The people of the area have yet to get gas connections whereas Punjab had already been getting the gas supply, he added.

Mr Yusufzai said that people of the NWFP would oppose the water supply plan to the capital from the River Indus. It was an issue of life and death for Pakhtuns and the Ghazi Barotha project was also against the international law on water rights, he said, adding that all the political parties in the province would have to get united on the rights issue.