After decades of harboring and exporting terrorism, Pakistan is now facing the heat—this time through its water supply. In response to the brutal Pahalgam terror attack, where 26 innocent people—mostly tourists—were gunned down by terrorists in Jammu & Kashmir, India has drastically curtailed the flow of water through the Chenab River, a move that has hit Pakistan where it hurts: agriculture.
A Pakistani official admitted on Monday that India has slashed water flow from the Chenab by nearly 90%, triggering panic in Islamabad about the upcoming Kharif crop season. With the Indus Waters Treaty effectively suspended, Pakistan now realizes that it cannot expect to fund cross-border terror and still enjoy the benefits of India’s goodwill.
Pakistan’s Indus River System Authority (IRSA) representative, Muhammad Khalid Idrees Rana, expressed helplessness, stating that if the flow remains cut, Pakistan will be forced to reduce farm water supplies by at least 20%. He described the move as “unprecedented.” What’s truly unprecedented, however, is a nation feeding on terror while pretending to play victim when held accountable.
India has shut all gates of the Baglihar and Salal dams on the Chenab River, asserting its sovereign right to regulate water under the long-abused 1960 treaty. Controlled releases from only one gate are being maintained—not for Pakistan’s benefit, but to minimize ecological disruption for aquatic life, showing that even in retaliation, India acts with responsibility.
The Indus River System, which includes the Chenab, Jhelum, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej, has historically been shared under the Indus Waters Treaty. India upheld the treaty through wars, infiltration, and terror attacks. But the killing of civilians in Pahalgam appears to have finally exhausted New Delhi’s patience.
Pakistan’s IRSA now fears a 21% shortage for the Early Kharif Season (May–June 10), and an additional 7% shortfall during the Late Kharif Season (June 11–September). The so-called “advisory committee” in Islamabad can issue statements of concern, but the message is clear:
If you unleash terror, don’t expect water in return.
For too long, Pakistan has weaponized terrorism and sought sympathy on the global stage when consequences follow. The irony is sharp—a state that manufactures violence now complains of shortages.
India has turned off the tap—and Pakistan is finally beginning to thirst for accountability
