Karachi : Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Sunday that Pakistan may use military action if it feels India’s actions on the Indus river system are endangering its water supply. His warning comes as tensions grow between the two countries after the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.
He warned that the country would not hesitate to take action if it believed its access to water from the Indus river system was under serious threat. New Delhi said the agreement would remain on hold until Pakistan takes clear and permanent steps to stop cross-border terrorism. Pakistan is struggling with a crippling water crisis, that has affected close to one-third of the population across the agricultural belts of Sindh and Balochistan.
The acute shortage is visible around Sukkur Barrage, a critical lifeline supporting millions of acres of farmland. The North West Canal faces a 64.1 per cent deficit, according to data from Sindh’s irrigation department. Further, the Rice Canal and Dadu Canal report shortfalls of 38 per cent and 82 per cent, respectively.
At the same time, the minister acknowledged that he was not aware of developments that may have taken place during the past year, despite making allegations about India’s actions. The comments have come at a time when Pakistan is facing mounting pressure from an internal water crisis affecting large sections of the population, particularly in Sindh and Balochistan.
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