In the aftermath of a deadly attack in India-held Kashmir, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a bold statement, declaring that Pakistan would not receive water from rivers controlled by India. This announcement came shortly after India suspended a crucial river water-sharing treaty following the attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives. Tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors escalated, leading to significant military confrontations until a ceasefire was established in early May.
The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, allocates water from three rivers flowing from India to Pakistan, sustaining 80% of Pakistan’s agricultural needs. Despite the treaty’s suspension, Pakistan’s finance minister downplayed the immediate impact on the country’s water supply. Attorney General for Pakistan, Mansoor Usman Awan, expressed Islamabad’s willingness to engage in discussions about water sharing, emphasizing the treaty’s binding nature that prohibits unilateral suspension.
While the ceasefire has mostly held, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar underscored the continued military vigilance against terrorist threats emanating from Pakistan. The Senate Standing Committee on Water Resources strongly condemned India’s actions, labeling them as illegal and provocative. The committee members emphasized the critical importance of the treaty for Pakistan’s food security and agricultural productivity, particularly in the face of climate vulnerabilities and erratic monsoon patterns.
The committee denounced India’s interference with the Neelum Jehlum project as an act of water warfare and aggression, warning that such actions could jeopardize the fragile ceasefire between the two nations. They called upon the international community to intervene and ensure India honors its international obligations, urging a peaceful resolution to the water dispute while asserting Pakistan’s unwavering stance on protecting its water rights.
As tensions persist and the specter of water insecurity looms large, the dispute over shared rivers between India and Pakistan underscores the intricate interplay between geopolitics, security, and resource management in the region. The implications of this conflict reach far beyond the immediate bilateral relationship, highlighting the broader implications of water scarcity and the urgent need for sustainable cooperation to ensure the well-being of millions of people dependent on these vital water resources.
Leave feedback about this