Pahalgam Attack: India Halts Chenab River Water Flow from Baglihar Dam

Reports indicate that India is also preparing to take similar action at the Kishanganga Dam on the Jhelum River. This follows India’s earlier decision to suspend the 65-year-old Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan.

The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, outlined the sharing of waters from the Indus River and its tributaries between India and Pakistan. The Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River has long been a point of contention between the two nations, with Pakistan previously seeking World Bank mediation on the issue.

India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty has caused significant unease in Pakistan. Ghasharib Shoukat from Karachi-based Pakistan Agriculture Research stated that India’s actions create uncertainty, adding that Pakistan currently has no alternatives.

Following India’s decision to suspend the treaty, Pakistani ministers and leaders issued strong statements. Former Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari remarked, “Either our water will flow in the Indus River, or their blood will.”

 Pakistani politicians labelled the suspension as a direct declaration of war. The Indus River holds immense significance for Pakistan, and the treaty’s suspension has visibly rattled the country’s leadership.