Pakistan has increasingly focused on the issue of the Indus waters amid growing domestic concerns over water scarcity, arguing that India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) has worsened the situation. However, the country's water challenges predate India's decision to suspend the treaty following the 2025 Pahalgam attack and are rooted in longstanding issues such as inadequate storage infrastructure, inefficient water management and internal disputes over water distribution.
Pakistan's water shortages have developed over decades, driven by limited reservoir capacity, delayed infrastructure projects, groundwater depletion and governance challenges, raising questions about the country's long-term water management strategy.
Pakistan's diplomatic campaign
In recent months, Pakistan has sought to internationalise the issue of the Indus Waters Treaty by engaging with foreign governments, think tanks and international forums. It has also highlighted the Indus Valley Civilisation as part of its broader diplomatic narrative surrounding the river system.
The World Bank, which played a role in facilitating the 1960 treaty, has not intervened in the dispute.
Pakistan also organised an international conference focused on the Indus Waters Treaty, although the event saw limited participation from prominent global political leaders. During the conference, several Pakistani leaders criticised India's decision to suspend the treaty, with some issuing strong statements on the issue.
India has maintained that restoration of the treaty depends on Pakistan taking effective action against terrorism. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly stated that "blood and water cannot flow together."
India suspended the treaty after the 2025 Pahalgam attack, which claimed the lives of 25 tourists. Prior to that, India had continued to implement the agreement despite multiple wars and terrorist attacks, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks and the Pulwama attack.
Under the 1960 treaty, India received exclusive rights over the eastern rivers—Ravi, Beas and Sutlej—while Pakistan was allocated the waters of the western rivers—Indus, Jhelum and Chenab. India was also permitted to develop run-of-the-river hydropower projects on the western rivers under specified conditions.
India's infrastructure projects
Over the years, India has developed storage and irrigation infrastructure on the eastern rivers. At the same time, some water allocated to India has continued to flow into Pakistan because of insufficient storage and diversion infrastructure on the Indian side.
India has recently accelerated projects aimed at utilising a larger share of its allocated waters. Among them is the Shahpur Kandi Dam project on the Punjab-Jammu and Kashmir border, which is nearing completion and is expected to divert water from the Ravi for irrigation in Kathua and Samba districts.
Other proposed projects include developments in the Chenab basin and the Chenab-Beas canal system, intended to improve the utilisation of water allocated to India under the treaty.
At present, India does not possess infrastructure capable of significantly diverting or halting the flow of the western rivers into Pakistan. Most existing projects are run-of-the-river hydropower plants with limited storage capacity.
Pakistan's water management challenges
Pakistan's water sector continues to face multiple structural challenges.
According to official budget figures, allocations for water projects have declined in recent years, while several planned infrastructure projects remain incomplete.
The country also lacks sufficient reservoir capacity to store water for periods of seasonal scarcity. Pakistan had projected a significant water shortfall at the beginning of the 2025 Kharif season, before India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty took effect.
Agricultural practices have also contributed to increasing pressure on water resources. Despite facing water stress, Pakistan continues to cultivate water-intensive crops such as rice, wheat, sugarcane and cotton on a large scale.
Former Indian Commissioner for Indus Waters Pradeep Kumar Saxena has argued that substantial volumes of water continue to flow unused into the sea because of inadequate utilisation within Pakistan.
Groundwater depletion has further intensified the problem, while sediment accumulation has significantly reduced the storage capacity of major reservoirs such as the Tarbela Dam. Pakistan has recently begun desilting operations at key dams, but no major storage infrastructure comparable to Tarbela has been constructed since its completion in the 1970s.
Internal disputes over water allocation have added to the challenge. Reports have highlighted significant water shortages in Sindh and Balochistan, with major canal systems operating well below required levels.
According to reports, disagreements over water sharing between provinces have intensified, with allegations that upstream regions are drawing more than their allocated share. Political parties within Pakistan have also criticised provincial governments over persistent water shortages in urban areas, including Karachi.
Conclusion
Pakistan's water crisis reflects a combination of infrastructure constraints, policy decisions, environmental pressures and inter-provincial disputes that have developed over several decades.
While Pakistan has linked its current challenges to India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, the country's broader water issues predate that decision and involve longstanding domestic factors alongside changing climatic conditions.
The debate over the Indus waters has therefore become intertwined with broader diplomatic, political and security issues between the two countries, even as Pakistan continues to grapple with significant internal water management challenges.
