Latest news with #HomlaThakhur
Arab News
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Panic in Pakistan as India vows to cut off water supply over Kashmir attack
HYDERABAD, Pakistan: Spraying pesticides on his parched ridge gourd cultivation a street away from the Indus River, Pakistani farmer Homla Thakhur is worried about his future. The sun is at its peak, the river is running very low, and India has vowed to cut supplies upstream after a deadly militant attack in Kashmir. 'If they stop water, all of this will turn into the Thar desert, the whole country. The basic issue is water. Nothing is possible without water,' said Thakhur, 40, before heading back to the river to refill the tank for the spray gun. 'If water comes, it will bring prosperity, otherwise we will die of hunger,' he said. His nearly 5-acre (2 hectare) farm is located in the Latifabad area of the southeastern province of Sindh, from where the Indus flows into the Arabian Sea after originating in Tibet and snaking through India. Thakhur's fears were echoed by more than 15 Pakistani farmers and several other experts, especially as rain has been scanty in recent years. For the first time, India on Wednesday (April 23) suspended the World Bank-mediated Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 that ensures water for 80 percent of Pakistani farms, saying it would last until 'Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.' India says two of the three militants who attacked tourists and killed 26 men in Kashmir were from Pakistan. Islamabad has denied any role and said 'any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan ... and the usurpation of the rights of lower riparian will be considered as an Act of War.' The treaty split the Indus and its tributaries between the nuclear-armed rivals. Two Indian government officials, who declined to be named discussing a sensitive subject, said the country could within months start diverting the water for its own agriculture, using canals while planning hydroelectric dams that could take four to seven years to finish. Immediately, India will stop sharing data like hydrological flows at various sites of the rivers flowing through India, withhold flood warnings and skip annual meetings under the Permanent Indus Commission headed by one official each from the two countries, said Kushvinder Vohra, a recently retired head of India's Central Water Commission. Nadeem Shah, who has a 150-acre farm in Sindh where he grows cotton, sugar cane, wheat and vegetables, employing 50 people, said he was also worried about drinking water. 'Allah is the provider. There will be rains, God willing, and the water will come, but yes, this is a potential threat at the moment,' he said. The three rivers meant for Pakistan, a country of 240 million people, irrigate more than 16 million hectares of farmland, or up to 80 percent of the total. Ghasharib Shaokat of Pakistan Agriculture Research, a Karachi research firm, said India's actions inject uncertainty 'into a system that was never designed for unpredictability.' The treaty remained largely unscathed even when India and Pakistan fought four wars since separating in 1947, but the suspension sets a dangerous precedent, Pakistani politicians said. 'My biggest concern is that we are already locked into generations of conflict, and by exiting the Indus Water Treaty, I believe we're locking future generations into a brand new context of conflict between India and Pakistan,' said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Pakistan's former foreign minister. 'That must not happen.'
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First Post
28-04-2025
- Business
- First Post
Water, medicines, fertiliser: Pakistan in panic mode as India tightens screws after Pahalgam attack
India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, halt of all trade and ban on pharmaceutical supplies following the Pahalgam terror attack has triggered panic in Pakistan. With critical sectors like farming and healthcare under threat, Pakistani authorities are scrambling to find alternative supply sources. read more The decision by India to suspend the World Bank-mediated Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 — which ensures water for 80% of Pakistani farms — halt all trade and ban pharmaceutical supplies in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people last week, has panicked Pakistan, prompting it to initiate emergency measures, including approaching other countries for supplies and seeking mediation to ease tensions. The move has escalated tensions between the two countries. India has closed the Attari-Wagah border, effectively putting on hold cross-border trade worth Rs 3,886.53 crore between India and Pakistan. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to a media report, Pakistani health authorities have initiated 'emergency preparedness' measures to secure pharmaceutical supplies in response to the suspension of trade ties with India. 'Following the 2019 crisis, we had started preparing for such contingencies. We are now actively looking at alternative avenues to meet our pharmaceutical needs,' the report quoted a senior Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) official as saying. Although direct trade between India and Pakistan remains limited, goods worth nearly $10 billion reach Pakistan through indirect channels every year, according to estimates by the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI). Currently, Pakistan relies on India for 30% to 40% of its pharmaceutical raw materials, including Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) and various advanced therapeutic products. With this supply chain disrupted, DRAP is now seeking alternative sources from China, Russia, and several European countries. 'We'll die of hunger' Spraying pesticides on his parched vegetables one street away from the Indus River, Pakistani farmer Homla Thakhur is worried about his future. The sun is at its peak, the river is running very low, and India has vowed to cut supplies upstream after the deadly militant attack in Kashmir. 'If they stop water, all of this will turn into the Thar desert, the whole country,' said Thakhur, 40, before heading back to the river to refill the tank for the spray gun. 'We'll die of hunger.' His nearly 5-acre (2-hectare) farm is located in the Latifabad area of the southeastern province of Sindh, from where the Indus flows into the Arabian Sea after originating in Tibet and snaking through India. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Thakhur's fears were echoed by more than 15 Pakistani farmers and several other experts, especially as rainfall has been scant in recent years. For the first time, India on Wednesday suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, saying it would last until 'Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism'. With inputs from agencies.
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Panic in Pakistan as India vows to cut off water supply over Kashmir
Live Events RUNNING DISPUTES (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Spraying pesticides on his parched vegetables one street away from the Indus River, Pakistani farmer Homla Thakhur is worried about his future. The sun is at its peak, the river is running very low, and India has vowed to cut supplies upstream after a deadly militant attack in Kashmir."If they stop water, all of this will turn into the Thar desert, the whole country," said Thakhur, 40, before heading back to the river to refill the tank for the spray gun."We'll die of hunger."His nearly 5-acre (2 hectare) farm is located in the Latifabad area of the southeastern province of Sindh, from where the Indus flows into the Arabian Sea after originating in Tibet and snaking through fears were echoed by more than 15 Pakistani farmers and several other experts, especially as rain has been scanty in recent the first time, India on Wednesday suspended the World Bank-mediated Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 that ensures water for 80% of Pakistani farms, saying it would last until "Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism".India says two of the three terrorists who attacked tourists and killed 26 men in Kashmir were from Pakistan. Islamabad has denied any role and said "any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan ... will be considered as an Act of War".The treaty split the Indus and its tributaries between the nuclear-armed officials and experts on both sides say India cannot stop water flows immediately, because the treaty has allowed it to only build hydropower plants without significant storage or dams on the three rivers allocated to Pakistan. But things could start changing in a few months."We will ensure no drop of the Indus River's water reaches Pakistan," India's water resources minister, Chandrakant Raghunath Paatil, said on did not respond to questions about the fears in Indian government officials, who declined to be identified discussing a sensitive subject, said the country could within months start diverting the water for its own farms using canals while planning hydroelectric dams that could take four to seven years to India will stop sharing data like hydrological flows at various sites of the rivers flowing through India, withhold flood warnings and skip annual meetings under the Permanent Indus Commission headed by one official each from the two countries, said Kushvinder Vohra, a recently retired head of India's Central Water Commission."They will not have much information with them when the water is coming, how much is coming," said Vohra, who was also India's Indus Commissioner and now advises the government occasionally."Without the information, they cannot plan."And it is not just agriculture, a shortage of water will also hit electricity generation and potentially cripple the economy, economists Ahmed, economist and team lead with UK consulting firm Oxford Policy Management, said that Pakistan had underestimated the threat of India walking away from the treaty."India hasn't got the kind of immediate infrastructure to halt the waterflows, especially during flood times, so this period creates a crucial window for Pakistan to address the inefficiencies in its water sector," he said."There are a lot of inefficiencies, leakages."In recent years, Modi government has been seeking to renegotiate the treaty and the two countries have been trying to settle some of their differences in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague over the size of the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric plants' water storage area."We can now pursue our projects in free will," said a letter on Thursday, India told Pakistan that circumstances had changed since the treaty was signed, including population increases and the need for more cleaner energy sources, referring to hydropower.A World Bank spokesperson said it was a "signatory to the treaty for a limited set of defined tasks" and that it does "not opine on treaty-related sovereign decisions taken by its member countries".Nadeem Shah, who has a 150-acre farm in Sindh where he grows cotton, sugar cane, wheat and vegetables, said he was also worried about drinking water."We have trust in God, but there are concerns over India's actions," he three rivers meant for Pakistan, a country of 240 million people, irrigate more than 16 million hectares of farmland, or up to 80% of the Shaokat of Pakistan Agriculture Research, a Karachi research firm, said India's actions inject uncertainty "into a system that was never designed for unpredictability"."At this moment, we don't have a substitute," he said. "The rivers governed by the treaty support not just crops, but cities, power generation, and millions of livelihoods."The treaty remained largely unscathed even when India and Pakistan fought four wars since separating in 1947, but the suspension sets a dangerous precedent, Pakistani politicians said."We're already locked into generations of conflict, and by exiting the Indus Water Treaty , I believe we're locking future generations into a brand new context of conflict," said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Pakistan's former foreign minister."That must not happen."
Otago Daily Times
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Panic in Pakistan as India vows to cut off water supply
Spraying pesticides on his parched vegetables one street away from the Indus River, Pakistani farmer Homla Thakhur is worried about his future. The sun is at its peak, the river is running very low, and India has vowed to cut supplies upstream after a deadly militant attack in Kashmir. "If they stop water, all of this will turn into the Thar desert, the whole country," said Thakhur, 40, before heading back to the river to refill the tank for the spray gun. "We'll die of hunger." His nearly two-hectare farm is located in the Latifabad area of the southeastern province of Sindh, from where the Indus flows into the Arabian Sea after originating in Tibet and snaking through India. Thakhur's fears were echoed by more than 15 Pakistani farmers and several other experts, especially as rain has been scanty in recent years. For the first time, India on Wednesday suspended the World Bank-mediated Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 that ensures water for 80% of Pakistani farms, saying it would last until "Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism". India says two of the three militants who attacked tourists and killed 26 men in Kashmir were from Pakistan. Islamabad has denied any role and said "any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan ... will be considered as an Act of War". The treaty split the Indus and its tributaries between the nuclear-armed rivals. Government officials and experts on both sides say India cannot stop water flows immediately, because the treaty has allowed it to only build hydropower plants without significant storage or dams on the three rivers allocated to Pakistan. But things could start changing in a few months. "We will ensure no drop of the Indus River's water reaches Pakistan," India's water resources minister, Chandrakant Raghunath Paatil, said on X. He did not respond to questions about the fears in Pakistan. Two Indian government officials, who declined to be identified discussing a sensitive subject, said the country could within months start diverting the water for its own farms using canals while planning hydroelectric dams that could take four to seven years to finish. Immediately, India will stop sharing data like hydrological flows at various sites of the rivers flowing through India, withhold flood warnings and skip annual meetings under the Permanent Indus Commission headed by one official each from the two countries, said Kushvinder Vohra, a recently retired head of India's Central Water Commission. "They will not have much information with them when the water is coming, how much is coming," said Vohra, who was also India's Indus Commissioner and now advises the government occasionally. "Without the information, they cannot plan." And it is not just agriculture, a shortage of water will also hit electricity generation and potentially cripple the economy, economists say. Vaqar Ahmed, economist and team lead with UK consulting firm Oxford Policy Management, said that Pakistan had underestimated the threat of India walking away from the treaty. "India hasn't got the kind of immediate infrastructure to halt the waterflows, especially during flood times, so this period creates a crucial window for Pakistan to address the inefficiencies in its water sector," he said. "There are a lot of inefficiencies, leakages." RUNNING DISPUTES In recent years, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has been seeking to renegotiate the treaty and the two countries have been trying to settle some of their differences in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague over the size of the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric plants' water storage area. "We can now pursue our projects in free will," said Vohra. In a letter on Thursday, India told Pakistan that circumstances had changed since the treaty was signed, including population increases and the need for more cleaner energy sources, referring to hydropower. A World Bank spokesperson said it was a "signatory to the treaty for a limited set of defined tasks" and that it does "not opine on treaty-related sovereign decisions taken by its member countries". Nadeem Shah, who has a 150-acre farm in Sindh where he grows cotton, sugar cane, wheat and vegetables, said he was also worried about drinking water. "We have trust in God, but there are concerns over India's actions," he said. The three rivers meant for Pakistan, a country of 240 million people, irrigate more than 16 million hectares of farmland, or up to 80% of the total. Ghasharib Shaokat of Pakistan Agriculture Research, a Karachi research firm, said India's actions inject uncertainty "into a system that was never designed for unpredictability". "At this moment, we don't have a substitute," he said. "The rivers governed by the treaty support not just crops, but cities, power generation, and millions of livelihoods." The treaty remained largely unscathed even when India and Pakistan fought four wars since separating in 1947, but the suspension sets a dangerous precedent, Pakistani politicians said. "We're already locked into generations of conflict, and by exiting the Indus Water Treaty, I believe we're locking future generations into a brand new context of conflict," said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Pakistan's former foreign minister. "That must not happen."
Business Recorder
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Panic as India vows to cut off water supply over IIOJK
LATIFABAD: Spraying pesticides on his parched vegetables one street away from the Indus River, farmer Homla Thakhur is worried about his future. The sun is at its peak, the river is running very low, and India has vowed to cut supplies upstream after a deadly militant attack in IIOJK. 'If they stop water, all of this will turn into the Thar desert, the whole country,' said Thakhur, 40, before heading back to the river to refill the tank for the spray gun. 'We'll die of hunger.' His nearly 5-acre (2 hectare) farm is located in the Latifabad area of the Sindh, from where the Indus flows into the Arabian Sea after originating in Tibet and snaking through India. Thakhur's fears were echoed by more than 15 farmers and several other experts, especially as rain has been scanty in recent years. For the first time, India on Wednesday suspended the World Bank-mediated Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 that ensures water for 80% of Pakistani farms, saying it would last until 'Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism'. Islamabad has denied any role and said 'any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan ... will be considered as an Act of War'. The treaty split the Indus and its tributaries between the nuclear-armed rivals. Government officials and experts on both sides say India cannot stop water flows immediately, because the treaty has allowed it to only build hydropower plants without significant storage or dams on the three rivers allocated to Pakistan. But things could start changing in a few months. 'We will ensure no drop of the Indus River's water reaches Pakistan,' India's water resources minister, Chandrakant Raghunath Paatil, said on X. He did not respond to questions about the fears in Pakistan. Two Indian government officials, who declined to be identified discussing a sensitive subject, said the country could within months start diverting the water for its own farms using canals while planning hydroelectric dams that could take four to seven years to finish. Immediately, India will stop sharing data like hydrological flows at various sites of the rivers flowing through India, withhold flood warnings and skip annual meetings under the Permanent Indus Commission headed by one official each from the two countries, said Kushvinder Vohra, a recently retired head of India's Central Water Commission. 'They will not have much information with them when the water is coming, how much is coming,' said Vohra, who was also India's Indus Commissioner and now advises the government occasionally. 'Without the information, they cannot plan.' And it is not just agriculture, a shortage of water will also hit electricity generation and potentially cripple the economy, economists say. Vaqar Ahmed, economist and team lead with UK consulting firm Oxford Policy Management, said that Pakistan had underestimated the threat of India walking away from the treaty. 'India hasn't got the kind of immediate infrastructure to halt the waterflows, especially during flood times, so this period creates a crucial window for Pakistan to address the inefficiencies in its water sector,' he said.
