Pakistan's water crisis driven by domestic failures, corrupt practices: Report
Ottawa, Aug 8
While Pakistan continues to blame India for its water insecurity, Islamabad has itself been accused of exploiting its upstream advantage to the detriment of its own downstream provinces. Third-party reports and comments by Pakistan's former minister for water and power indicate that poor planning, domestic mismanagement and corrupt practices lie at the heart of the country's water crisis, a report has stated.
By threatening to 'go to war' with India over the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), Pakistan risks further defunding the energy sector, damaging existing infrastructure, and edging closer to absolute water scarcity, a report in Canada-based Geopolitical Monitor mentioned.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has been reiterating that the Indus Waters Treaty would remain in abeyance until Pakistan stops backing cross-border terrorism. India placed the IWT in abeyance following the heinous Pahalgam terror attack last year by Pakistan-backed terrorists that killed 26 innocent civilians.
"Pakistan has framed India's treaty suspension as an aggressive act that justifies military retaliation, omitting the crucial context of the Pahalgam attack and the years of state-sponsored terrorism India has endured. During a conference held in Islamabad in late June, Pakistan People's Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto alluded to Pakistan's willingness to use nuclear weapons if India maintains the treaty's suspension, which marks an alarming escalation and lack of interest in bilateral dialogue," the report detailed.
"In the days following the conference, leaked documents indicate that Pakistan's military initiated a coordinated media campaign to challenge India's interpretation of the Indus water dispute and to stoke anti-India rhetoric. The strategy was allegedly produced by the Directorate General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a wing of the Pakistani Armed Forces. The military has long been criticised for overstepping its role and trying to control civilian affairs, and these leaked documents further substantiate this theory," it added.
According to the report, before India suspended the treaty, Pakistani officials had been making statements suggesting that water challenges stem from domestic mismanagement.
Back in 2015, it said, Pakistan's then Minister for Water and Power, Khawaja Asif, said that the country had developed "a national habit of extravagance" which has led to resource shortage across water, gas, oil, and electricity sectors. He emphasised that the water challenges were largely internal to Pakistan, countering current Pakistani authorities' narratives that blame India for water scarcity.
The report noted that soon after the signing of the IWT, Pakistan developed an "obsession" with dam construction, which significantly reduced the flow of fresh water and heightened the country's vulnerability to climate change.
"This dam building has primarily served the energy needs of the Punjab region, long the centre of the military's power base. As it appears the military has taken a leading role in Pakistan's water affairs, it is not surprising that its heartland has emerged as a top priority. Provinces downstream of Punjab, such as Sindh Province, must grapple with adverse side effects due to rapid upstream dam building, yet the dams continue to be built," it mentioned.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Interesting report. It's tragic that Pakistan's own provinces like Sindh are suffering because of Punjab's dam obsession and military interests. But one thing this article doesn't mention is that water conflicts worldwide need collective solutions, not just blame games. India should engage in legitimate dialogue if Pakistan genuinely stops sponsoring terror. Let's hope sanity prevails.
"A national habit of extravagance" - even Pakistan's own ex-minister admitted this in 2015! But their military won't listen. They'd rather threaten nuclear war than fix their own water infrastructure. Meanwhile, their propaganda machine at ISPR works overtime to blame India for everything. Absolute comedy writing on the wall for them. 👏👏
The report correctly points out how Pakistan's military-industrial complex controls water policy, sacrificing Sindh for Punjab's interests. But let's be honest - it's equally unfortunate that Indian politicians also lack long-term water planning. We should focus on our own river interlinking projects to ensure our own future water security instead of just watching our neighbor's mess.
Bilawal Bhutto talking about nuclear weapons over water? That's the most irresponsible statement ever! Pakistan's leadership doesn't know how to handle a simple water-sharing dispute without sabre-rattling. Maybe they should stop spending on ISI and terrorism and start investing in desalination plants and water recycling. Common sense is not so common for them, it seems.
As an international observer, this story is very telling. The geopolitical
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