Pakistan’s repeated warnings over the Indus Waters Treaty have once again brought the country’s water crisis into focus, with recent analysis arguing that Islamabad’s attention on India is also diverting attention from long-standing domestic problems in water management.The debate has intensified after Pakistani leaders and officials repeatedly raised concerns over India’s decision to keep the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance. Pakistan has described the issue as a major threat to its water, food and national security.At the same time, recent analysis has highlighted problems within Pakistan’s own irrigation and water-management systems, including inefficient water use, limited storage capacity and ageing infrastructure.Key HighlightsPakistan continues to raise concerns over the Indus Waters Treaty.Pakistani officials have described water security as a major national concern.Analysts have also pointed to domestic water-management problems in Pakistan.Limited storage, inefficient irrigation and groundwater depletion remain challenges.The Indus Basin is central to Pakistan’s agriculture and economy.The debate comes amid continuing tensions between India and Pakistan.Why Is Pakistan Raising the Indus Waters Treaty Issue?Pakistan has repeatedly criticised India’s decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance.Pakistan’s Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said in August that the move had created a new challenge for Pakistan’s water security. He argued that changes in the treaty’s operation could affect the availability of water for agriculture.Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has also described the Indus river system as critical to the country’s agriculture, food security, energy production and livelihoods.India, meanwhile, has maintained that the treaty was placed in abeyance following the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack and has linked the issue to concerns over cross-border terrorism.Pakistan’s Domestic Water ProblemsWhile the Indus Waters Treaty dispute remains a major diplomatic issue, analysts have pointed to Pakistan’s internal water-management challenges.A recent analysis by National Security and Strategic Studies (NatStrat) argued that Pakistan receives a large share of the Indus river system’s water but continues to face significant losses because of inefficient irrigation, inadequate storage and weak water management.Pakistan has one of the world’s largest irrigation networks, but much of its agriculture continues to depend on traditional irrigation methods. Water losses in canals and fields, along with groundwater depletion, have added to the pressure on the country’s water resources.Limited Water Storage Adds to the PressureWater storage is another major challenge. Analysis cited by Al Jazeera said Pakistan’s effective water storage capacity is roughly 30 days, while India’s is estimated at between 120 and 220 days. Experts have also pointed to poorly maintained canals and outdated agricultural practices as important factors affecting Pakistan’s water security.Limited storage makes it harder for Pakistan to manage differences between periods of heavy rainfall and periods of low water availability.Climate change is adding another layer of uncertainty, with changing rainfall patterns, floods, droughts and glacier-related changes affecting water planning.Agriculture Remains Highly Dependent on the IndusThe Indus Basin is at the centre of Pakistan’s agricultural economy.Large parts of the country’s farming system depend on irrigation from the Indus river network. This makes water availability important not only for farmers but also for food prices, rural employment and the wider economy.However, recent analysis has argued that Pakistan’s water problems cannot be explained only through developments upstream in India. Domestic water use, irrigation efficiency, crop choices and infrastructure also affect how much water is ultimately available to farmers.Is the Treaty Dispute Diverting Attention From Domestic Issues?The argument that Indus Waters Treaty rhetoric can shift attention away from domestic problems comes mainly from Indian analysts and commentators and is therefore a contested interpretation rather than an established fact.A recent NatStrat analysis explicitly described Pakistan’s focus on the treaty as a form of “hydraulic deflection”, arguing that political attention on India can distract from governance and water-management shortcomings inside Pakistan.Other analysts, however, have emphasised that Pakistan’s concerns about water security are not simply political rhetoric. The country faces genuine challenges linked to climate change, population growth, agricultural demand and declining per-capita water availability.What Happens Next?The Indus Waters Treaty dispute is likely to remain an important issue in India-Pakistan relations.For Pakistan, the challenge is both external and domestic: managing its concerns over the treaty while improving the efficiency of its own water infrastructure and agricultural system.Improving irrigation efficiency, expanding storage, managing groundwater and adapting agriculture to climate change could help address some of the country’s long-term water risks.The continuing debate therefore goes beyond the India-Pakistan dispute. It also highlights the importance of how Pakistan manages the water resources already available to it.
