Indus Treaty in abeyance collides with Pakistan's internal water war
With India's suspension still in force, Sindh says it is starved of Indus flows during peak kharif sowing while Punjab draws near its full share
Summary
India's April 2025 suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty remains in force in mid-2026, compounding an internal allocation dispute. Pakistani reporting says Sindh's barrages received about 64,093 cusecs against a 106,340-cusec quota — roughly a 40% deficit — while Punjab faced only about a 9% shortfall, with link canals diverting Indus flows toward Punjab's tributaries. The Indus River System Authority, which relies on provincial data, faces accusations of opacity from Sindh and Balochistan. The shortfall hits leading rice districts during the kharif window. India contests that its action breaches the treaty.
Why it matters
Roughly a third of Pakistan faces severe shortage during planting, threatening rice and cotton output in Sindh, which produces about 67% of national farm output — water scarcity as both a cross-border weapon and an internal fault line.