Pakistan Alarmed as India Suspends Indus Water Treaty; Parliament Raises Alarming Concerns

Islamabad: Pakistan continues to express strong discontent after India’s decision to suspend the Indus Water Treaty following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, in April 2025, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians. The issue reverberated through Pakistan’s National Assembly as concerns over agricultural and water crises escalated.

India Suspends the Treaty

India halted the treaty after the Pahalgam attack, allegedly carried out by terrorists linked to Pakistan. Under the treaty, India allows water from three western rivers—Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab—to flow to Pakistan, while India has full rights over the three eastern rivers. These western rivers are considered lifelines for Pakistani Punjab’s agriculture.

Pakistan Warns of Severe Agricultural Impact

Pakistan’s Ministry of Water Resources informed the National Assembly that India’s unilateral suspension has led to declining water levels, threatening millions of acres of farmland.

• The Upper Chenab Canal from the Marala Headworks will affect approximately 14.5 million acres.
• Canals from the Khanqi Headworks will impact 3.09 million acres.

The ministry emphasized that these reductions could trigger significant crop losses and agricultural disruption.

Repeated Appeals for Response Ignored

Pakistan repeatedly requested clarification from India regarding abnormal river flows in December 2025. The UN special representatives had set a deadline of 16 December 2025 for India to respond, but even 34 days after the deadline, no reply was received.

The Pakistan Indus Commissioner reported that between 10 and 16 December, the Chenab River experienced exceptionally low flows, dropping as low as 870 cusecs at one point. Satellite images indicated significant fluctuations in water levels at the Baglihar Dam, raising concerns that India was deliberately restricting water flow.

Implications for Pakistan

The suspension of the Indus Water Treaty is seen as one of the harshest measures taken by India in response to cross-border terrorism. Pakistan warns that such unilateral actions pose a serious threat to food security, agriculture, and regional water stability, escalating tensions between the two neighboring countries.

This issue is expected to dominate discussions in Islamabad in the coming days as Pakistan seeks both domestic and international support to address the treaty suspension.