Op-Ed: Pakistan’s Water Crisis Is Self-Inflicted Amid Indus Treaty Tensions

This Op-Ed argues that Pakistan's current water scarcity is primarily due to internal mismanagement rather than India's suspension of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT). The author contends that New Delhi's decision to halt the treaty was a predictable response to the targeted killing of 26 tourists in Pahalgam by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists, following earlier warnings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi that 'water and blood cannot flow together.' While Islamabad has sought UN intervention and threatened military retaliation, the article asserts that Pakistan ignored clear signals regarding the link between terror and diplomatic cooperation. The piece highlights that the IWT already heavily favors Pakistan, allocating it 80% of the water and significant financial aid for infrastructure. However, Pakistan suffers from archaic agricultural practices that waste two-thirds of its water, poor storage capacity, and unmaintained canal systems. The author concludes that official apathy and a culture of wastage, rather than Indian actions, are the root causes of Pakistan's water woes, criticizing the government for blaming external factors instead of addressing domestic inefficiencies.