LAHORE, Nov 23: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf chairman Imran Khan fears that 2.5 million acre land will turn barren as the rulers are not taking up the issue of Chenab water with India seriously.

Talking to reporters after visiting a number of membership camps set up by his party at various cricket grounds in the city on Sunday, he said President Asif Ali Zardari instead of giving statements against use of nuclear arsenal should lodge a strong protest with New Delhi for blocking Pakistan’s share of water.

If taken lightly, he said, the water loss would render at least 2.5 million acre land barren and warned that the farming community which was facing hardships due to water shortage, would not compromise on the subject.

He regretted that the government had given a free hand to the United States to attack the country’s tribal areas. Calling for talks to resolve the militancy issue, he said no war could be won through the barrel of gun. Only dialogue could establish a lasting peace in tribal areas.

The PTI chairman said a ban on corruption and plunder of national wealth would be enforced only through reinstatement of non-functional chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

He lamented that Justice Chaudhry was not being given his due respect by the rulers while many awards were being conferred on him throughout the world.

He criticised Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani for showing his inability to handle the national situation. He urged Mr Gilani to send an advice to the president for dissolution of assemblies and holding of fresh polls instead of saying that he who was more capable than him should take reigns of the country.