Islamabad, May 6, 2025: The Baglihar Dam operation by India led to shutting off the Chenab River flow while the country may authorize identical restrictions at the Kishanganga Dam on the Jhelum River based on reports from The News on Monday.
The water cutoff from Chenab River disrupts a vital water source and threatens the decades-long existence of the vital Indus Waters Treaty between rival neighbors.
The water release timing of the Baglihar Dam at Ramban district Jammu and Kishanganga Dam at north Kashmir has made India technically capable of controlling these operations since long.
The most recent water supply restriction implements new measures following the April 22 attack at Pahalgam which became responsible for lives of 26 including mostly touristic visitors.
The Indian government decided to instantly blame Pakistan while implementing penalties such as blocking the IWT water treaty and delaying visas and border closures at Wagah-Attari.
Pakistan, firm in denying any involvement, has retaliated sharply: expelling Indian diplomats, cancelling visas (except for Sikh pilgrims), closing its main border crossing, shutting its airspace to Indian carriers, and halting all trade, even via third countries.
The stakes are alarmingly high, as Islamabad has declared that any attempt to cut off water under the IWT would be viewed as an outright “act of war.”
For decades, the Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, has governed the sharing of the Indus River system.
While disputes like Baglihar and Kishanganga have triggered legal battles in the past, India’s latest moves mark an unprecedented geopolitical flashpoint.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned Friday that Pakistan would strike if India proceeded with any construction violating the treaty.
Experts warn that weaponizing water could set a dangerous regional precedent.
According to international water-sharing data, cross-border rivers support the livelihoods of over 250 million people in South Asia.
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Comparisons to past dam disputes show that while previous frictions were contained diplomatically, today’s tensions are compounded by deepening political hostility and military threats.
As the situation teeters on the edge, the world watches anxiously. Will the Indus Waters Treaty survive this storm, or is South Asia hurtling toward a perilous water war?
