Indus Waters Treaty: Why Pakistan's water crisis claims don't hold up
Synopsis
India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty after the Pahalgam attack — but has not actually stopped water flows to Pakistan. A Eurasia Review analysis argues Pakistan's water crisis is self-inflicted: the country stores just 10% of river flows, wastes two-thirds of agricultural water, and has ignored decade-old warnings. Islamabad's UNSC letter and army chief's dam threats have found little international traction — and the report explains why.
Key Takeaways
India placed the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance after the Pahalgam terror attack of 22 April but has not physically halted water flows to Pakistan .
Nearly 5–6 per cent of eastern river water exclusively allocated to India still flows into Pakistan due to diversion and storage constraints.
Pakistan stores only 10 per cent of annual river flows, against a global average of 40 per cent , with a storage capacity of just 30 days .
Pakistan's Indus basin irrigation canals suffer roughly 25 per cent surface water transmission losses due to poor maintenance.
Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir's threat to bomb Indian dams and Islamabad's UNSC letter have drawn limited international response, according to the report.
Former Pakistani meteorological services head Qamar-uz-Zaman stated that Pakistan wastes two-thirds of its agricultural water through archaic practices.
Despite placing the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance following the Pahalgam terror attack of 22 April, India has not halted the flow of water from the western rivers allocated to Pakistan under the treaty. Moreover, according to a detailed analysis published in Eurasia Review, nearly 5 to 6 per cent of the total water from the three eastern rivers — exclusively assigned to India under the IWT — continues to flow into Pakistan due to diversion and storage constraints on the Indian side.
Pakistan's Claims at the UN Security Council
Islamabad escalated the matter by seeking intervention from the UN Security Council (UNSC), asserting that New Delhi's suspension of the IWT could trigger 'grave peace, security and humanitarian consequences.' Simultaneously, Pakistani officials projected a doomsday scenario, claiming the country's water availability was sufficient for only 90 days.
The Eurasia Review report questioned the seriousness of this claim, noting that the letter to the UNSC was signed by Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister rather than the Prime Minister — a detail it said undermined the urgency Islamabad sought to convey. The report also noted that Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir's threat to bomb Indian dams has not been taken seriously internationally, a signal, it argued, of how little credibility Islamabad's narrative commands.
Pakistan's Structural Water Management Failures
The Eurasia Review analysis points to long-standing domestic failures as the root cause of Pakistan's water stress. Pakistan stores just 10 per cent of its annual river flows — far below the global average of 40 per cent. Its water storage capacity stands at a mere 30 days, a figure that has not meaningfully improved despite repeated warnings.
The country's Indus basin irrigation canal system reportedly suffers approximately 25 per cent surface water transmission losses due to poor maintenance. The report quoted Qamar-uz-Zaman, former head of Pakistan's meteorological services, as stating that 'From within its usage for agriculture, Pakistan wastes two-thirds of its water by following archaic agricultural practices.'
Notably, various organisations monitoring global water availability had reportedly predicted more than a decade ago that Pakistan would face a severe water crisis by 2025 if the government did not act. Critics argue those warnings went largely unheeded.
A Senior Pakistani Military Voice Sounds the Alarm
Even within Pakistan's own establishment, the severity of the mismanagement is acknowledged. Senior Pakistani military official Jamil Muhammad warned that 'While Pakistan is not acutely short of water in the physical sense, neither does it have an abundance of the resource to afford the luxury of mismanaging it — especially amid its escalating water demands.' The statement, coming from within the military, underscores that the crisis is as much about governance as it is about geography.
What the Ground Reality Shows
The Eurasia Review report concludes that Islamabad is 'trying to peddle the narrative that India is responsible for its water woes, but the ground reality is entirely different.' With India yet to physically restrict water flows and Pakistan's own officials conceding systemic mismanagement, analysts say the IWT suspension has so far had a limited operational impact on Pakistan's water supply. Whether India moves to enforce stricter controls — and how that might alter the calculus — remains the key variable to watch.
Point of View
Yet Islamabad is escalating to the UNSC. The more revealing story is domestic — a country that stores 10% of its river flows and wastes two-thirds of agricultural water has little standing to blame a treaty suspension for a crisis that predates it. The fact that Pakistan's own military officials are quietly flagging mismanagement suggests the government knows this too. Framing a structural governance failure as an Indian aggression may generate short-term headlines, but it forecloses the domestic reforms that could actually address the crisis.
NationPress
8 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Has India stopped water supply to Pakistan after suspending the Indus Waters Treaty?
No. Despite placing the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance following the Pahalgam terror attack, India has not halted water flows from the western rivers allocated to Pakistan. Additionally, 5 to 6 per cent of eastern river water assigned to India continues to reach Pakistan due to storage and diversion constraints.
Why did Pakistan approach the UN Security Council over the IWT suspension?
Pakistan wrote to the UN Security Council claiming that India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty could lead to grave peace, security, and humanitarian consequences. Islamabad also stated its water availability was sufficient for only 90 days, though the letter was signed by the Deputy Prime Minister rather than the Prime Minister, which analysts noted raised questions about the claimed urgency.
What are the root causes of Pakistan's water crisis according to the Eurasia Review report?
The report attributes Pakistan's water stress primarily to domestic mismanagement — including a storage capacity of just 30 days, storage of only 10% of annual river flows against a global average of 40%, and 25% surface water losses from poorly maintained canals. Former meteorological services head Qamar-uz-Zaman noted that Pakistan wastes two-thirds of its agricultural water through archaic practices.
What did Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir say about the IWT dispute?
Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir reportedly threatened to bomb Indian dams in the context of the IWT suspension. According to the Eurasia Review report, this threat has not been taken seriously internationally, which the report says reflects the low credibility of Islamabad's overall narrative on the water dispute.
When were warnings about Pakistan's water crisis first issued?
According to the Eurasia Review report, various global water-monitoring organisations predicted more than a decade ago that Pakistan would face a severe water crisis by 2025 if the government did not take corrective action. Those warnings are said to have gone largely unaddressed.
