Pakistan needs water focused political leadership to address water and sanitation

Islamabad: (Parliament Times) “Moving towards completion of 70 years of its existence as an independent state, with water and sanitation sector problems at the core of its socio-economic underdevelopment, Pakistan is in desperate need of a water-focused leadership at all levels. Specially, the political leadership of the country needs to take up water and sanitation (W&S) sector as their top priority.”
The message was released by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) World Water Day, that falls on March 22. Noting that the country’s W&S sector was in dire need of a nation-wide overhaul, necessitating investment from public and private stakeholders on a massive scale, the Institute stressed that “the nation, together, has to rise up to this challenge of momentous proportions.”
Irfan Shahzad, lead coordinator of the Institute, stressed that conservation and development of water resources becomes a national emergency. “Every drop matters and every citizen has a responsibility”, added Irfan who was listed as ‘Water Champion’ by the Asian Development Bank, in 2006, for his written contributions in W&S field.
He maintained that the concept of ‘water leadership’ needed to be inculcated amongst all the segments and cadres of society, with politicians, teachers, opinion-makers and media at the forefront in drive towards a water-efficient and water-sensitive society. “The campaign towards 2018 elections must see water and sanitation as the key slogans”, IPS voiced.