ISLAMABAD — Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal announced on Saturday that Pakistan will fast-track all hydro-related projects, including the flagship Diamer Bhasha Dam, to safeguard its water resources following India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
India is reportedly planning to significantly increase the amount of water it draws from rivers feeding Pakistani farmlands as retaliation for a deadly attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s (IIOJK) Pahalgam, which it blames on Pakistan. Since the incident, New Delhi has “put in abeyance” its participation in the IWT, despite the two nuclear-armed neighbors agreeing on a ceasefire earlier this month after intense clashes.
Speaking to a delegation of engineers led by the Secretary General of the Institution of Engineers Pakistan (IEP), Ahsan Iqbal emphasized the urgency of prioritizing water infrastructure projects amid India’s “water aggression.” He assured that funds would be allocated on a priority basis to ensure Pakistan’s long-term water security.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently declared that Pakistan would no longer receive water from rivers under India’s control. However, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhary dismissed these claims, calling such ideas “insane” and “impractical,” given the critical water needs of Pakistan’s 240 million people.
Iqbal also addressed the delay in the federal budget, attributing it to the prime minister’s foreign visits and Eid holidays rather than pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to economic relief and increased defense spending, given current security challenges. Additionally, a paid internship program for young engineers will be introduced, with their demands to be incorporated into the upcoming budget.
Politically, Iqbal praised the country’s unity following recent military successes against India, while criticizing former Prime Minister Imran Khan for a lukewarm response to Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir’s leadership recognition. He vowed that the government would not take any steps that harm national cohesion.
Following its unilateral suspension of the treaty, India has directed officials to expedite projects on the Chenab, Jhelum, and Indus rivers—key waterways in the Indus system primarily reserved for Pakistan’s use. India is allowed limited irrigation water from the Chenab but plans to expand canals to divert significantly more, a move that experts warn could take years to complete.
Water security expert David Michel from the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies noted that any Indian efforts to build infrastructure to divert water would require time but remain a serious concern given that roughly 80 percent of Pakistani farms depend on the Indus system, as do most of the country’s hydropower projects.