The international seminar titled “Indus Waters Treaty: An Instrument of Peace and Regional Stability,” organised by the Institute of Regional Studies in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, is a timely initiative. At a moment when the future of the Indus Waters Treaty has become a subject of growing regional concern, informed public discussion is urgently needed. Water rarely receives sustained attention in Pakistan’s political discourse, yet for a country whose economy and food security depend heavily on agriculture, few issues are more consequential.

Nearly 80 per cent of Pakistan’s cultivated land relies on the Indus river system. Water is not simply another policy issue. It underpins agriculture, livelihoods, food production and public health. Any uncertainty surrounding the uninterrupted flow of the Indus therefore has implications that extend well beyond irrigation.

Unfortunately, mainstream media, particularly television talk shows, has devoted little attention to the legal and strategic dimensions of water security. Political controversies dominate the national conversation, while agriculture and water management remain on the margins. This imbalance has become even more striking since India announced the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, an action that has inevitably raised questions about the future of water sharing in South Asia.

Pakistan’s legal position is stronger than is often acknowledged.........

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