Latest news with #IndusWaterTreaty
India.com
21 hours ago
- Politics
- India.com
China enters Indus Water Treaty war, makes big plan to help Pakistan, not good news for India due to...
China enters Indus Water Treaty war, makes big plan to help Pakistan, not good news for India due to... Amid the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan over the Indus Water Treaty, China has extended an olive branch to Islamabad. India put into 'abeyance' its participation in the 1960 treaty, which governs the usage of the Indus river system, after 26 civilians in Indian Kashmir were killed in what Delhi described as an act of terror. The treaty had guaranteed water access for 80% of Pakistan's farms through three rivers originating in India. Did Pakistan plead before China? Amid the ongoing tussle over the Indus Water Treaty, Pakistan has turned to China for diplomatic and strategic support. In response to India's suspension of the treaty, China and Pakistan have accelerated the construction of a major dam project that will provide water and electricity to parts of Pakistan, reports The Conversation. Why is China getting involved in this? It says that Beijing's involvement raises concerns. Beijing has long wanted to increase its influence in the region and compete with India. There is concern in New Delhi that Beijing can obstruct the flow of rivers flowing from its territory to India. In such a situation, any interference by Beijing on the Indus Water Treaty threatens to increase regional tensions. How has China came forward to help Pakistan? China also sees itself as a stakeholder in the Indus Water Treaty. The Chinese media has described India as aggressive in this dispute and warned of the danger of using 'water as a weapon'. It has also pointed out that the Indus River originates in China's western Tibet region. This is a kind of threat. Meanwhile, China announced that it will expedite the Mohmand Hydro Project on a tributary of the Indus in Pakistan.
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
The Perception Gap: Why Pakistan's Voice Falls Silent on the Global Stage
The writer is an Economics and Finance student, CFC member at Chatham House, former UN Mission intern, and columnist In the theatre of international politics, perception is often more powerful than policy. Nations are not merely judged by what they do, but by how effectively they tell the world what they do. In this regard, Pakistan stands at a dangerous crossroads: it is a state that acts, reforms, builds, and negotiates – but speaks with a muted voice in a world driven by narratives. Pakistan's Public Relations deficit is not just a diplomatic inconvenience; it is a structural vulnerability. Despite an ongoing wave of policy initiatives – from the Green Pakistan Initiative and the Pakistan Mineral Investment Forum to the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) – the country continues to be seen through outdated lenses, reduced to a shorthand of security concerns and regional instability. If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Pakistan is living this paradox. Reforms may be taking place, but without narrative amplification, they register as little more than background noise to the global audience. One need not look far to see how other nations actively shape discourse. India, for instance, has mastered the art of diplomatic storytelling. Whether in the form of cultural diplomacy, economic branding, or policy-driven messaging on Kashmir and the Indus Water Treaty, New Delhi's voice carries. Pakistan's counter-narrative, in contrast, often arrives too late – if at all. It is not that Islamabad lacks substance; it lacks strategic amplification. Part of the problem lies in Pakistan's institutional architecture. Ministries work in silos, embassies struggle with resource constraints, and national messaging is often reactive rather than proactive. The absence of a coordinated strategic communications apparatus means Pakistan is not only unable to counter disinformation – it struggles to own its own story. The global media landscape, too, does Pakistan no favours. Narratives of economic crisis, political volatility, and security threats dominate headlines. What's missing is a coherent story of resilience: a country investing in green growth, positioning itself as a regional trade corridor, and attempting genuine institutional reform. These stories exist, but they are not being told by Pakistan – they are being interpreted by others. In today's geopolitical terrain, storytelling is statecraft. And like all powerful stories, the narrative must be consistent, credible, and continuous. It is not enough to hold a press conference after a crisis or release a report every fiscal quarter. Pakistan must build narrative infrastructure – global media engagement teams, rapid response units, diaspora communications networks, and a modernised diplomatic PR strategy that goes beyond press releases. To bridge this gap, Pakistan can look to models like Ukraine's post-2022 communications overhaul, or Saudi Arabia's narrative rebranding through the Centre for International Communication. These are not cosmetic campaigns – they are structural recalibrations of how states project themselves in a competitive world. The stakes are high. Without narrative sovereignty, Pakistan cedes its image to those who would prefer to define it in terms of its weakest moments. In a region where perception often determines investment, alliances, and leverage, this is not a risk Pakistan can afford. Building dams, planting forests, and digitising governance are all critical endeavours – but in today's world, they must be accompanied by a parallel investment: in how those efforts are understood beyond our borders. Pakistan does not suffer from a shortage of stories. It suffers from a shortage of storytellers. The writer is an Economics and Finance student, CFC member at Chatham House, former UN Mission intern, and columnist focusing on political reform, international relations, and narrative power in geopolitics.
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
India can neither 'stop water, nor quit IWT'
India has so far, refused to reconsider its decision to hold the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) in abeyance but the fact is that it cannot completely stop the flow of rivers into Pakistan, given the current infrastructure that it has, according to a report on Al Jazeera channel website. But experts caution that even a small diversion or blockage could hurt Pakistan, if India were to manage to stop the flow of the Indus Basin rivers. They warn that any such move could set the stage for a full-fledged war between two countries. In April, India said it was walking out of the IWT after gunmen killed 26 tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu Kashmir (IIOJK). A day later, Pakistan's National Security Committee (NSC) rejected the "unilateral" move, warning that "any diversion of Pakistan's water is to be treated as an act of war". The 85-page IWT brokered by the World Bank and signed in 1960 is different from most global water treaties that share water according to their total volume of flows. On the contrary, the IWT divides the rivers – three eastern rivers to India and three western rivers to Pakistan. The treaty was a "hydraulic partition" that followed political partition, Majed Akhter, senior lecturer in geography at King's College London told Al Jazeera. "It was needed to resolve issues of the operation of an integrated irrigation system in Punjab," he added. However, Akhter pointed out that water sharing between the neighbours is linked to their dispute over Kashmir. "Territorial control of Kashmir means control of the waters of the Indus, which is the main source of water for the heavily agrarian economies" of Pakistan and India, he added.
United News of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Punjab Assembly passes resolution against CISF deployment at dams; CM reiterates 'not a drop to spare'
Chandigarh, July 11 (UNI) Led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha today passed a historic resolution opposing the deployment of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at state dams, citing both financial burden and federal overreach. Addressing the House, the Chief Minister launched a scathing attack on the BJP and Congress, accusing both parties of deliberately dividing the country along regional, linguistic, sectarian, and communal lines. "If these parties were honest in their intentions toward the nation, India could achieve unparalleled progress in every sector," he stated. Criticizing the Centre's priorities, Mann remarked, 'If Prime Minister Modi can find time to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, why can't he resolve the dispute between Punjab and Haryana, who contribute over 70 per cent to the national food pool and are like brothers?' He alleged that successive governments in both states have deliberately fueled discord for political gain. The Chief Minister reiterated that Punjab has no spare water to share with any other state, calling water an emotional and existential issue for Punjabis. He lamented that the 1955 water agreements were never reviewed every 25 years as they should have been. Mann also criticized the Government of India's suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, which he said grants other states enhanced access to western river waters, while Punjab is denied its rightful share. He proposed the construction of new storage dams upstream of the existing Bhakra and Pong dams in Himachal Pradesh to regulate and preserve western river waters for Punjab's farmers. Mann argued that Punjab deserves compensation for sacrificing its fertile land and natural resources to make India self-reliant in food production. Calling the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) a "white elephant", the Chief Minister demanded its reconstitution. He noted the board functions against Punjab's interests despite the state's 60 per cent stake and even uses Punjab's own funds to file cases against it. "This injustice will not be tolerated," he warned. Mann condemned the Union Government's decision to deploy CISF troops at dams like Bhakra, which would cost the state nearly Rs 9 crore annually despite Punjab Police already handling dam security without cost. 'If we can guard the nation's borders, we can certainly protect our dams,' he asserted. He further criticized the Centre for demanding payment from Punjab during emergencies, recalling the Rs 7.5 crore bill sent to the state following the Pathankot terrorist attack. 'A state that sends the highest number of martyrs to the armed forces shouldn't be made to pay to defend itself,' he added. On the alleged misuse of central agencies like the CBI and ED, Mann said the Punjab government will not be intimidated and will continue serving the people fearlessly. 'Attempts to silence democratic voices through these agencies will never be tolerated by Punjabis,' he emphasized. He also lambasted the opposition for its failure to take the river water issue seriously. 'Those who call themselves water saviors have caused irreversible damage,' he said, noting that the so-called water protection law passed by the opposition is still under legal scrutiny. He ridiculed the privilege of former rulers whose fields had direct canal access, questioning their understanding of water scarcity. The Chief Minister accused past governments of misleading the public on the issue for over six decades. He reminded the House who initiated the SYL canal survey and laid its foundation stone with silver spades, contrasting this with his own government's refusal to give even a single drop of water to other states. Taking a jab at Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, Mann mocked his lack of fluency in Punjabi, suggesting his convent education failed to instill knowledge of the local language. 'These leaders are merely finding excuses to avoid legislative proceedings and public accountability,' he said, branding Bajwa as a power-hungry opportunist desperate to occupy the CM's chair. 'This Vidhan Sabha belongs to the 3.5 crore people of Punjab. Only someone elected by them has the right to serve here,' Mann declared. He said the traditional parties' poor governance inspired him to enter politics in the first place. Highlighting the Congress' diminishing relevance, Mann pointed out that the party failed to win a single seat in Delhi's last three assembly elections. 'These leaders have lost all credibility and are now objects of public contempt,' he stated. UNI XC RN
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Lava Storm Play First Look: Best Budget Phone Under Rs 10,000?
'Even JCBs Draw More Crowd in India': Punjab CM Mocks PM Modi's Foreign Trips To Small Nations Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann ridicules PM Modi's global honours and simultaneously shakes up India's inter-state water politics. Days after the Prime Minister received Ghana's highest civilian award, Mann taunted his globe-trotting diplomacy saying, '10,000 people live in those countries. In India, that many people will gather to watch a JCB in action.' But the real bombshell came when he proposed replacing the decades-old SYL canal fight with a new Yamuna-Satluj Link (YSL) canal from Kashmir that could bring a staggering 23 MAF water to Punjab, a quantum leap from the current dispute over just 1-2 MAF. Amid Punjab's groundwater crisis, Mann urged the Centre to utilize the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan to divert water from rivers like Chenab, Ravi, and Jhelum into Punjab.#bhagwantmann #narendramodi #induswatertreaty #sylcanal #punjabpolitics #watercrisis #ghanaaward #toi #toibharat #bharat #trending #breakingnews #indianews 21.0K views | 23 hours ago
