India’s Water Manipulation and Its Impact on Pakistan’s Security

Pakistan has raised serious concerns over India’s alleged manipulation of river flows, warning that such actions pose a direct threat to the country’s food and economic security. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, addressing foreign envoys in Islamabad, emphasized that India’s interference with the Chenab River and other western rivers undermines the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a cornerstone of water-sharing agreements between the two nations.

Dar explained that Pakistan’s agriculture sector, which relies heavily on the Indus Basin system, is particularly vulnerable to disruptions in water supply. Reduced flows from the Chenab and other rivers could devastate crop yields, jeopardize food security, and destabilize rural livelihoods. He stressed that water manipulation is not just a bilateral issue but a regional security concern with global implications.

The minister highlighted that India’s upstream projects and diversions have already created shortages during critical irrigation seasons. Such actions, he argued, violate the spirit of the IWT, signed in 1960, which allocates control of eastern rivers to India and western rivers to Pakistan.

Dar urged the international community to take notice of India’s actions, calling for diplomatic pressure to ensure compliance with treaty obligations. He warned that unchecked violations could escalate tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, with consequences extending beyond South Asia.

Foreign envoys were briefed on the broader implications of India’s water policies, including their potential to destabilize Pakistan’s economy. Agriculture remains the backbone of Pakistan’s GDP, and any disruption in water flows directly impacts food production, exports, and employment.

The minister’s remarks come amid growing fears of a “water war” in the region. Analysts caution that climate change, rising demand, and upstream development projects are intensifying the risk of conflict over shared resources.

Pakistan’s government has vowed to pursue the matter at international forums, framing water security as a fundamental human and economic right. By spotlighting India’s alleged violations, Islamabad hopes to rally global support for stricter enforcement of the Indus Waters Treaty and safeguard its agricultural future.