Dr Musadik Malik chaired a meeting of the Prime Minister’s Task Force on Water Scarcity in Islamabad on 11 November 2025 to assess risks to the upcoming Rabi and Kharif seasons. Senior officials from the Ministries of Water Resources, National Food Security and Planning, WAPDA, and representatives from provincial irrigation departments and water management authorities attended to review current assessments and coordinate responses.
Participants examined projected water availability scenarios for both Rabi and Kharif, including the latest data on river flows from India and year-on-year variance. Concern was raised over the accelerating rate of groundwater depletion and its direct impact on agricultural productivity and national food security, underscoring the urgency to address water scarcity with both immediate and long-term measures.
Deliberations focused on policy options to ensure more equitable and efficient distribution of water across tributaries and territories, with particular attention to improving management, monitoring and infrastructure. The task force emphasised stronger inter-provincial coordination to optimise use of available resources and reduce losses in the system.
Dr Musadik Malik stressed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan must not be left behind and that every region should receive its rightful share under the agreed national framework. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to tackle water scarcity through data-driven planning, inter-provincial collaboration and sustainable management practices to protect the agricultural economy and long-term food security.
