LAHORE, Jan 2 India should stop stealing Pakistan's water which otherwise can trigger a war between the two South Asian nuclear neighbours, says Planning Commission deputy chairman and adviser to prime minister on education, Sardar Assef Ahmad Ali.

Speaking at a seminar on “Improvement in energy sector,” organised by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Pakistan (IEEEP) at a local hotel on Saturday, he said India must stop its adventure which could lead to disastrous results for South Asia.

He said sabotaging the Indus Basin Water Treaty would only lead to more pains and open Pandora's Box for the region, which was already facing political and diplomatic instability.

Absolving the government of delay in inducting rental power plants (RPPs) and ending loadshedding as promised by it repeatedly, Assef claimed that the private sector was responsible for delay as it was exclusively its responsibility to bring plants online as per schedule and the government had nothing to do with it.

“Pakistan has the best energy resources as compared to the entire South Asian region but, unfortunately, it couldn't develop them and is faced with a severe crisis. In order to meet our energy requirements, it is very much necessary to tap Thar coal resources. Work on the Thar project will start the moment the Sindh Assembly passes the resolution on it.”Talking about the gas import, he said if Pakistan imported gas from Qatar, it would be cheaper than that of Iran. Moreover, he said Iranians were really strict about terms and conditions of the agreement and they would never compromise on the price issue.

He said dictators had damaged the socio-economic fabric of the country and urged local and foreign investors to come forward and invest in the energy sector of Pakistan. Had the previous government taken action in time, the Indians would not have been able to build Baglihar Dam.

Addressing the seminar, Muttahida Kisan Mahaz Ayub Meo said owing to the negligence of the Pakistan leadership, India had been stealing water in violation of international treaties. “A huge water and agriculture crisis is awaiting Pakistan if India does not mend its ways.”

He said the Pakistanis might be able to live without electricity for some time but they could not live without water for long, as the Indians had been trying.