China Ramps Up Pakistan Dam Project as India Pauses Indus Waters Treaty

Beijing has revealed plans to expedite construction of a major dam in Pakistan, a move aimed at supporting its key ally amid heightened regional tensions. This development follows India’s decision to suspend the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

The China Energy Engineering Corporation, a state-owned entity, has been developing the Mohmand Hydropower Project in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province since 2019. The dam, designed as a multi-purpose facility, is expected to produce 800 megawatts of hydropower, provide flood control, support irrigation, and deliver 300 million gallons of drinking water daily to Peshawar, the provincial capital.

Under the Indus Waters Treaty, Pakistan is allocated water from the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers, while India has rights to the Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas rivers. India’s suspension of the treaty came after the Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 people. On May 7, India conducted precision strikes under “Operation Sindoor” targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who arrived in Beijing on Monday for a three-day visit, is the first senior Pakistani official to travel to China since India’s military actions and the treaty suspension. Dar was expected to discuss a range of issues with Chinese counterparts, including India’s decision to halt the treaty.