Water has often been described as the lifeblood of civilisations, and as trying to destroy humanity. But in South Asia, it is increasingly becoming a source of political tension and strategic rivalry. India is a definite example of this practice. For Pakistan, a country whose agriculture, food security, and economic stability depend heavily on the Indus River system, recent developments upstream are being watched with growing concern.

Water in South Asia is no longer just a shared natural resource; it is becoming a strategic pressure point. For Pakistan, whose survival is deeply tied to the Indus River system, developments upstream are increasingly viewed not as routine infrastructure projects, but as calculated shifts in regional water control dynamics.

The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 was designed precisely to prevent this scenario, but India has always violated international law. It was meant to convert water from a potential conflict driver into a structured framework of cooperation. Remarkably, it survived multiple wars and decades of hostility between India and Pakistan, but the bone of contention always became India. Yet today, its spirit is under visible strain not because the treaty has vanished, but because trust in its implementation is steadily eroding.

Water has the power to unite nations through cooperation or divide them through mistrust.

Water........

© Daily Times