Pakistan is a gift of the Indus. You will see how literal that is, till you begin to research the complicated geography and the stakes that the hydro-politics of our part of the world have. Suppose all these rivers were dried up tomorrow, the lights in our towns would be extinguished, and our dinner tables would be bare!

This piece is an adventure through the rivers of Pakistan, founded on the research and the interesting (and even worrying) history that can be traced from 1947 until the latest tensions of late 2025.

Looking at the rivers of Pakistan map, you will see a network resembling the veins of a human being. Nearly all the water flows down to the Indus River, which serves as the great conduit.

Rivers in Pakistan are primarily formed in one of the ruggedest environments on Earth, the Himalayas, Karakoram, and Hindu Kush. Melting glaciers (somewhat frightening in the light of climate change) and seasonal monsoon rains are the main sources of their food.

Punjab can be literally translated as the Land of Five Waters. The breadbasket of Pakistan is made of these five rivers:

You can become confused in regards to which rivers are really the largest. We have found the following breakdown:

Indus (Sindhu) is definitely the largest river of Pakistan. It’s roughly 3,180 km long. It originates in Tibet (China) and traverses India and the whole of Pakistan, from the northern ends of Gilgit-Baltistan to the Arabian Sea. It is not a river only, it is a national symbol.

This is the place of debate. Considering the entire length........

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