Latest news with #NationalSecurityCommittee
Express Tribune
11-07-2025
- 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.
Shafaq News
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Iran MP: Only a tactical nuke could have hit Fordow
Shafaq News – Tehran/Washington The United States used a tactical nuclear weapon in its June strike on Iran's Fordow nuclear site, an Iranian lawmaker claimed on Thursday. Abolfazl Zohrevand, a member of Parliament's National Security Committee, argued in an online interview that the facility's underground structure—buried more than 60 meters beneath reinforced rock—strongly suggests the use of 'a low-yield nuclear device.' Tactical nuclear weapons are designed for battlefield use against military targets. While their yield is lower than strategic warheads, their deployment remains controversial due to the risk of escalation and global nuclear instability. No international agency or independent monitor has confirmed the use of nuclear weapons in the strike. Debate continues over the scope and effectiveness of the US operation. President Donald Trump claimed the strike completely destroyed the site, comparing it to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However, a US intelligence assessment concluded the attack caused only limited damage to Iran's nuclear infrastructure.
The Diplomat
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Diplomat
Chronic Water Shortages Plague Pakistan's Capital
India and Pakistan continue to make headlines as they trade harsh words and threats about the fate of the Indus Waters Treaty. However, the origins of many of Pakistan's water problems are much closer home. Degraded infrastructure and mismanagement cause the country's capital, Islamabad, and the adjacent city of Rawalpindi, whose surface water comes from watersheds entirely within Pakistan, to face persistent and worsening water shortages. Monsoon rains have arrived in the capital, but they will not solve the pervasive problems in Islamabad and Rawalpindi's water system. Pakistan's leadership will need to take steps far beyond its current plan to keep the capital and its surrounding agricultural and industrial areas supplied with water. Islamabad and Rawalpindi are a telling exemplar of the issues facing Pakistan as it attempts to mitigate climate change's impact on the country's water supply. Even before India's recent withdrawal from the Indus Waters Treaty, water was easy to politicize in Pakistan. After all, Pakistan is dependent on the Indus River, which originates in India, for 80 percent of its agriculture. Agriculture provides 25 percent of Pakistan's GDP and employs 65 percent of its labor force. Pakistan's National Security Committee has warned India that any disruption of Indus water flows would be considered 'an act of war,' sustaining a similar diplomatic position for almost a decade. Blaming India has made it easy for Pakistan to avoid the difficult work of providing water security to its population. Pakistan faces a 32 percent shortfall in water supply and nearly 80 percent of the country is forced to drink contaminated water. The twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad feel Pakistan's policy shortfalls acutely. About 40 percent of the Pakistani population depends on surface water, including from rivers, while about 60 percent rely on underground water reserves. Both systems are failing. The lack of oversight on water metering in both cities has limited investment and allowed illegal taps to flourish. There are few regulations to limit the installation and use of wells, leading to massive overuse. Groundwater depth has fallen from 22.8 to 56 meters in Islamabad and from 37.8 to 59 meters in Rawalpindi. The lack of regulation has also left both the surface and ground water polluted with toxic substances and bacteria as chemicals, trash, and sewage are openly dumped across the watershed. The pervasive presence of contaminants and pollutants contributes to waterborne illnesses and rising cancer rates in the twin cities. In addition to limited oversight, the twin cities' infrastructure is simply not up to the task. Much of the water in the region is supplied by three reservoirs created by the Khanpur, Rawal, and Simly dams. Even when full, which is a rare occurrence, the three lack the capacity to supply both cities with sufficient water. The dams are augmented by 480 tube wells to supply the network with groundwater. Rawalpindi has a water deficiency of 18.5 million gallons per day in the summer, while Islamabad has a deficiency of 52 million gallons per day. These dams are supported by 53 water plants, of which only 13 are supplying clean water that is safe to drink. Local authorities laid the water pipe network between 30 to 100 years ago and the system has deteriorated in most places. Poor rainwater drainage and sewage runoff have further damaged the network. National and local authorities have attempted to address surface water storage issues. However, limited funds and poor project oversight have dimmed hopes of meaningful relief in the near term. In 2020, Pakistan approved a plan to construct a 60-kilometer pipeline from the Tarbela Dam to Islamabad in an attempt to provide additional fresh water to the capital. However, the plan lacked sufficient funds to progress and was canceled early this year. The Asian Development Bank is funding a more viable plan to supply an additional 25 million gallons per day to Rawalpindi through the construction of the Chahan Dam. While some portions of the project are underway, two major segments of the dam are mired in a long-term legal dispute. The Dadocha Dam, another key upgrade, also faced legal issues but appears to be progressing and may provide some relief to Rawalpindi in the coming year. None of these plans involve improving the connections between the reservoirs and the population. The poor state of the network will continue to undercut the quality of the water in the twin cities. Regardless of the status of the new construction, climate change will continue to pose a massive threat to residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. All of Pakistan's dams have seen drastically lower levels as last winter was one of the driest in Pakistan's history, with parts of the country seeing 67 percent less rainfall than usual. In May, authorities suspended water supplies from the Khanpur Dam to surrounding farms in an attempt to save capacity. Despite this, water levels in the dam are falling as much as 0.03 meters daily at the dam as it approaches the dead storage line, when water cannot be pulled from the dam to supply the network. Even the Tarbela and Mangla dams, which boast the largest reservoirs in the country, reached their dead storage levels and were unable to provide hydropower and irrigation. Given recent rain patterns, plans to connect Islamabad to the large dam at Tarbela would not provide meaningful relief. The Chahan and Dadocha dams will also likely succumb to the climate change-driven drought that is currently plaguing Pakistan. In addition to climate change, the continuing urbanization of Pakistan will only put more pressure on Rawalpindi and Islamabad's teetering water network. The Asian Development Bank estimates that 40 percent of the country will live in urban areas by 2030. As the twin cities continue to accept an influx of citizens from Pakistan's rural areas, the water system will not be able to cope. Those who can afford it will resort to water tanker services or bottled water. However, due to Pakistan's poor regulatory scheme many providers have charged exorbitant prices or provided unsafe bottled water. The water crisis in Islamabad and Rawalpindi seems destined to exacerbate challenges to civil order. Rawalpindi saw limited protests about water shortages on July 2 as well as in late May and early June. Things may not always be so calm in the capital as water shortages have caused unrest in other parts of the country. A May protest over canals on the Indus River turned violent in Sindh Province, resulting in injuries to two policemen and the destruction of a district official's house. Without progress in controlling groundwater use, improving the quality of the water provided to the population, and expanding surface water storage capacity, additional protests and political turmoil are likely in the capital. Climate change and urbanization will only worsen the problem. Water issues will challenge authorities in Pakistan's capital for years to come.
Sky News AU
26-06-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
Top strategic analyst says US-Australia alliance ‘in its worst shape' after government explored legality of Iran Strikes
The US-Australia alliance is in a critical condition, according to a leading strategic analyst after Finance Minister Katy Gallagher let slip the federal government had ordered legal advice into President Trump's strikes on Iranian nuclear hubs. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was slammed for his belated support of US President Donald Trump's coordinated strikes against three significant Iranian nuclear facilities. Mr Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong fronted the media on Monday morning more than 24 hours after the attack, saying they backed the US' strikes but stressed they did not want to see the regional conflict escalate into all-out war. However, in a major development to the saga, Finance Minister and close confidant of the Prime Minister Katy Gallagher revealed on Thursday that the government had ordered advice on whether the US' strikes against Iranian nuclear sites were legal. 'Look, obviously advice has been sought by – I mean, in government, as we are working through some of these issues, we get a whole lot of advice across the government,' Senator Gallagher said on ABC RN. When questioned if acquiring legal advice reflected thinking within the government that the US' strikes were illegal under international law, Ms Gallagher said that it was a routine formality. 'Well, we receive – for example, when the NSC (National Security Committee) meets, we get a whole lot of advice from across government about a whole range of things, and we don't really go into those matters publicly.' Peter Jennings, one of the county's most eminent strategic analysts said the Albanese government seeking legal advice on the matter was 'not the act of a friendly ally' and stated he was 'surprised that they need to ask a question at all.' 'I think it's very clear that America was launching these strikes in defence of Israel and in defence of America itself, and they were attacking a regime which has literally since 1979 been calling for death to America and death to Israel,' Mr Jennings said. Mr Jennings, who served as executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute from 2012-22 said that by focussing on the legality of the strike the government was 'wilfully blind to the realities of what's going on in the Middle East right now' He outlined the move would be considered extremely provocative by US officials and would 'do serious damage to Australia's position in DC.' Ms Gallagher refused to share the nature or outcome of the advice and insisted that the government endorsed the US' strikes against Iran. 'I'm not going to go into the advice the government receives, but I can be clear, and I think ministers who have appeared on your program and the PM and the Foreign Minister have been very clear that we support the strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities,' she said. Mr Jennings said the emerging rift between the two countries was extremely concerning and stated 'the alliance is in its worst shape since the Whitlam/Nixon period which was more than 50 years ago.' 'One wonders then if they are trying to find a reason to distance themselves from the American strikes, because frankly you can create legal advice which will support the strikes, or also that says the strikes were illegal,' Mr Jennings said. 'This was an unnecessary step, something that the government could easily have supported on the basis of Iran's nuclear program and its international support of terrorism.' 'I just think it just shows that they're not trying to be an ally, they're trying to be a critic, and this is just not going to work with the Trump administration.' Mr Albanese, unlike British PM Keir Starmer, was not notified of the US' attacks on Iran before they were carried out, with the Prime Minister confirming he had not spoken to the US President after he abruptly left the G7 summit in Canada a day before the two were due to meet.
Business Recorder
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
NSC takes stock of situation
ISLAMABAD: In a bold move, the National Security Committee (NSC) on Monday reaffirmed Iran's right to self-defence following US air strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities, warning of a dangerous escalation in regional tensions. The NSC, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and attended by senior cabinet members and military leadership including Field Marshal Asim Munir, met to assess the rapidly evolving regional situation in the wake of Israeli aggression and US strikes on the Iranian nuclear facilities. The NSC strongly condemned Israel's military actions against Iran and regretted that the US strikes had coincided with a constructive negotiation process between Tehran and Washington. 'These reckless actions have escalated tensions, threatening to ignite a wider conflict and diminishing the opportunities for dialogue and diplomacy,' a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said. The committee reaffirmed Iran's right to self-defence under the United Nations Charter and conveyed condolences to the Iranian government and people over the loss of innocent lives. It also prayed for the swift recovery of those injured. Expressing grave concern over potential escalation, the NSC condemned the US attacks on Iranian nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan on June 22. It said the strikes violated resolutions of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), international law, and the UN Charter. The forum reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to engage closely with relevant parties and endorsed continued efforts to promote regional peace and stability. It called on all sides to resolve conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy and emphasised adherence to international human rights and humanitarian law. At the NSC meeting, Field Marshal Asim Munir briefed participants on his recent US visit, including his meeting with US President Trump. Sources said PM Sharif praised Field Marshal's efforts, noting that the engagement highlighted Pakistan's strategic importance. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
