INDIA’S unilateral move to place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance is not merely a diplomatic provocation or a technical dispute over water-sharing.

It is a direct challenge to Pakistan’s water security, economic stability and national well-being. For a country whose agriculture, food systems and rural livelihoods depend overwhelmingly on the Indus Basin, any attempt to disturb the treaty’s framework carries consequences far beyond legal interpretation. It strikes at the heart of Pakistan’s survival as a lower riparian state.

For decades, the Indus Waters Treaty stood as one of the few enduring examples of cooperation between the two neighbours. Despite wars, crises and prolonged political hostility, the treaty remained intact because it was understood that water must not be weaponized. Its importance lay not only in allocating rivers, but in creating a predictable........

© Pakistan Observer