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First Post
9 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
Crops hit, dam water at dead levels: How Pakistan is suffering after Indus Waters Treaty suspension
Pakistan is parched. India's move to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty has caused a crisis in the neighbouring country — water flow from the Indus River System has dropped almost 20 per cent. This has affected the kharif crop season, which will negatively impact the beleaguered nation's economy read more Camels sit on the dry riverbed of the Indus River, with the Kotri Barrage in the background, in Jamshoro, Pakistan. File image/Reuters Pakistan is drying up, quite literally. Following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, in which 26 people lost their lives, India had taken the harsh but just step of placing the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri declaring that the agreement would remain 'in abeyance' until Pakistan took 'credible and irrevocable' steps to cease its support for cross-border terrorism. At the time, many questioned if the move would hurt Pakistan. And the effects of India's decision is now being seen and felt in the neighbouring country — as river waters have reached 'dead' levels, imperilling Pakistan's kharif season. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pakistan's waters at dead levels Official data reveals that the total water released from the Indus River System to Pakistan is almost 20 per cent down compared to same date last year. In the Sindh region, the water flow stood at 1,33,000, cusecs compared to 1,70,000 cusecs last year. Similarly, in Pakistan's Punjab region, the water flow stood at 1,10,500 cusecs, down 20 per cent from 1,30,800 cusecs on June 20 last year. Even in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, the water flow is down to 2,600 cusecs on June 20 from 2,900 cusecs on the same day last year. And this has been an ongoing situation since India placed the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance. For instance, on June 16, the 'Daily Water Situation' report released by the Pakistan government's Indus River System Authority (IRSA) showed the total water released from the Indus River System to Pakistan's Sindh province was 1.33 lakh cusecs against 1.6 lakh on the same day last year — a drop of 16.87 per cent. Furthermore, the water levels at the two major reservoirs in Pakistan — Tarbela on the Indus and Mangla on the Jhelum — have dropped to dead storage. Fishermen clear a fishing net in the water on the partially dried up riverbed of the Indus River in Hyderabad, Pakistan. The total water released from the Indus River System to Pakistan is almost 20 per cent down compared to same date last year. File image/Reuters Impact on Pakistan But what does it exactly mean for Pakistan's rivers to reach dead levels and how will it hurt Pakistan? Dead storage levels refers to the water volume stored below the lowest outlet level, essentially unusable for typical water supply purposes. This limits its use for irrigation or drinking. Pakistan's water in reservoirs reaching dead levels will have a significant impact on the country's kharif (summer crops) sowing season. In fact, an India Today report states that kharif farming has already witnessed a dip of more than 20 per cent owing to receiving 1.14 lakh cusecs of water as opposed to 1.43 lakh cusecs a day last year. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The production of kharif crops, namely cotton and maize, has declined by over 30 per cent and 15 per cent in Pakistan, respectively. The production of wheat has also dropped by around nine per cent owing to the water shortage in the country. This, in turn, will hurt an already beleaguered Pakistani economy that is heavily reliant on agriculture. Pakistan's agricultural sector contributes 23 per cent to the country's national income and with production of kharif crops dropping, it will hurt Pakistan's bottomline. Experts note that the situation might improve once the monsoon rains arrive but until then Pakistan will be quenched for thirst. Parched Pakistan writes to India And staring at a water crisis has led Pakistan to write not one but four letters to India, asking it to reinstate the Indus Waters Treaty that was first signed in 1960. Multiple news reports citing sources have said that the secretary of Pakistan's Ministry of Water Resources, Syed Ali Murtaza, has written four letters to India urging it to reconsider its decision to stop the Indus Waters Treaty. The sources state that India's Jal Shakti Ministry has sent all the four letters from Pakistan to the Ministry of External Affairs. And such dire are the circumstances that Pakistan also requested the World Bank , which brokered the deal, to intervene in the matter. However, the World Bank refused to step into the issue. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Supporters of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), carry flags and banners, during a protest against the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty by India, in Karachi, Pakistan. File image/Reuters Significance of Indus Waters Treaty and India's pause on it Pakistan's water woes arose when India announced that it was putting the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Signed in September 1960, the agreement governed the allocation of water from the Indus River system between the two countries. Under the arrangement, India was granted rights to the Eastern Rivers: the Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej, while Pakistan received the Western Rivers: the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab. Approximately 70 per cent of the water in the system was allotted to Pakistan. Under the IWT, India was obligated to allow the flow of Western Rivers to Pakistan, with limited rights for agriculture, transport, and hydroelectric projects that do not obstruct river flow. New Delhi's decision to pause the treaty caused much outrage in Pakistan with Islamabad deeming the action to be 'an act of war', adding that it was prepared to respond, 'with full force across the complete spectrum of national power'. And on June 17, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was quoted as telling German broadcaster DW Urdu that any attempt by India to block Pakistan's water supply would be seen as an existential threat, leaving Pakistan with no option but war. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Following India's decision to pause the treaty, New Delhi is also conducting a feasibility study for constructing a 113 km-long canal for redirecting surplus flow from the three western rivers of the Indus water system to Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. With inputs from agencies
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Modi Disputes Trump's Version of India-Pakistan Ceasefire
(Bloomberg) -- Follow Bloomberg India on WhatsApp for exclusive content and analysis on what billionaires, businesses and markets are doing. Sign up here. Security Concerns Hit Some of the World's 'Most Livable Cities' How E-Scooters Conquered (Most of) Europe JFK AirTrain Cuts Fares 50% This Summer to Lure Riders Off Roads Taser-Maker Axon Triggers a NIMBY Backlash in its Hometown Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi disputed President Donald Trump's claims that trade deals were used to clinch a recent ceasefire with Pakistan, the latest sign of possible strain in the relationship between New Delhi and Washington. Modi held a 35-minute call with Trump on Tuesday night in the US after the two leaders failed to meet in person at the Group of Seven meeting in Canada, India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said in a video statement. It was their first conversation since the four-day military strikes between India and Pakistan last month that brought the two neighbors close to war. Trump has consistently said the US helped broker a ceasefire and that he used trade deals as a negotiating tool, comments that Indian officials have disputed. Modi clarified India's position to Trump during the leaders' call, Misri said Wednesday. 'PM Modi clearly told President Trump that during this entire incident, at no time, at any level, were there any talks on issues like India-US trade deal or mediation between India and Pakistan through America,' he said. 'PM Modi stressed that India has never accepted mediation, does not accept it, and will never accept it.' The Indian leader's forthright comments come amid growing frustration in New Delhi over Trump's repeated claims of defusing tensions between the nuclear-armed South Asian rivals. Modi's rebuttal coincides with a tougher Indian stance in trade talks with the US, though analysts say the sharper tone is unlikely to affect negotiations or long-term ties with Washington. 'By outlining the events and India's position, Prime Minister Modi was setting the record straight with President Trump,' Harsh Vardhan Shringla, former Indian foreign secretary and envoy to the US said. 'The India-US relationship is very comprehensive and will continue to grow.' While speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday, Trump referenced his phone call with the Indian prime minister, saying, 'we're going to make a trade deal with Modi of India.' However, he also reiterated his version of events: 'I stopped the war between Pakistan and India,' he said. Pakistan Army Chief The underlying discontent in New Delhi over what it sees as Trump's attempts to place India and Pakistan on equal footing — and undermine its long-standing foreign policy — is far from resolved. Modi echoed that frustration in a speech at the G-7 summit on Tuesday, where he criticized inconsistent global standards on terrorism, without naming any country specifically. 'On the one hand, we are quick to impose various sanctions based on our own preferences and interests,' he said during a session held after Trump had left Canada. 'On the other hand, nations that openly support terrorism continue to be rewarded. I have some serious questions for those present in this room.' New Delhi has said it won't hold talks with Pakistan unless that country takes action to prevent terrorist attacks. The recent military conflict between the two countries was triggered by an April 22 deadly attack on mainly Indian tourists in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir. India called it a terrorist attack and blamed Pakistan, accusations that Islamabad have denied. In contrast to India, Pakistan has credited Trump's role in helping negotiate a peace deal and is open to mediation. In an unusual move, Trump is expected to meet with Pakistan's army chief, Asim Munir, at the White House on Wednesday. Modi's remarks during the phone call may also have been intended to clear up some of the domestic confusion. 'The PM needed to clarify this because the confusion that was caused by President Trump,' said Indrani Bagchi, chief executive officer at Ananta Centre, a Delhi-based think tank. 'It was good that the prime minister made that clear to President Trump at his level.' India's opposition groups said additional measures may be needed to address the diplomatic fallout from Trump's version of the truce. Modi remained 'silent' for too long, and the US president's assertions went unchallenged, Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh told ANI on Wednesday. He asked the prime minister to 'say the same things that you have supposedly told President Trump on the phone' at a special session of the parliament. Trump asked Modi to visit him in the US following his trip to Canada, but 'due to prior engagements, Prime Minister Modi expressed his inability to do so,' said Misri. Modi has a scheduled stop in Croatia for a state visit before he returns to India from the G-7. Misri said Trump accepted Modi's invitation to visit India for the annual Quad meet scheduled for later in the year. (Updated with Trump's comments.) Ken Griffin on Trump, Harvard and Why Novice Investors Won't Beat the Pros Is Mark Cuban the Loudmouth Billionaire that Democrats Need for 2028? How a Tiny Middleman Could Access Two-Factor Login Codes From Tech Giants American Mid: Hampton Inn's Good-Enough Formula for World Domination The Spying Scandal Rocking the World of HR Software ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
India's Modi denies Trump mediated Pakistan ceasefire using trade deals
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi disputed US President Donald Trump's claims that trade deals were used to clinch a ceasefire with Pakistan during last month's military conflict. Modi held a 35-minute call with Trump on Tuesday night in the US after the two leaders failed to meet in person at the Group of Seven meeting in Canada, India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said in a video statement. It was their first conversation since the four-day military strikes between India and Pakistan last month that brought the two neighbours close to war. Trump has consistently said the US helped broker a ceasefire and that he used trade deals as a negotiating tool, comments that Indian officials have disputed. Modi clarified India's position to Trump during the leaders' call, Misri said on Wednesday. 'PM Modi clearly told President Trump that during this entire incident, at no time, at any level, were there any talks on issues like India-US trade deal or mediation between India and Pakistan through America,' he said. 'PM Modi stressed that India has never accepted mediation, does not accept it, and will never accept it.'
Russia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
India ‘will never accept' third-party mediation on Kashmir
India will never accept mediation to resolve its dispute with Islamabad over Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told US President Donald Trump. New Delhi's long-stated position on bilateral issues was reaffirmed by Modi in a 35-minute telephone conversation with Trump on Tuesday, following the US president's unscheduled early exit from the G7 summit in Canada. 'PM Modi stressed India has never accepted mediation, does not accept and will never accept it,' Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said at a press briefing on Wednesday. 'There is complete political unanimity in India on this,' Misri added. During the call, which the Indian foreign secretary said was initiated by the Americans, Trump invited Modi to visit the US after attending the G7 Summit. However, due to prior commitments, the Indian leader had to decline the invitation, Misri added. BREAKING: PM Modi declines President Trump's invitation to visit America on the way back from the G7 Summit in Canada India's statements rejecting mediation come in the wake of last month's military conflict between the South Asian neighbors. On May 7, India struck suspected terrorist facilities in Pakistan-controlled territory in response to a terror attack (blamed on Islamabad) in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir in April. Pakistan retaliated to the Indian strikes and a confrontation ensued till a ceasefire was announced on May 10. Trump took credit for the ceasefire, a claim which he has since made repeatedly. New Delhi has refuted the US president's claim. The phone call between Modi and Trump on Tuesday, takes on added significance in light of a confirmed lunch meeting on Wednesday between the US president and Pakistan Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir, who is currently visiting the US. After the ceasefire was announced by the two South Asian neighbors in May, Trump said that he used 'trade' as a bargaining chip to broker peace. Modi clarified in the Tuesday call with Trump that the India-US trade deal had no role to play in the ceasefire, Misri added.
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
India's Modi tells Trump there was no US mediation in Pakistan truce
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it clear to United States President Donald Trump that a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after a four-day conflict in May was achieved through talks between the two militaries and not US mediation, a top diplomat in New Delhi says. 'PM Modi told President Trump clearly that during this period, there was no talk at any stage on subjects like India-U.S. trade deal or US mediation between India and Pakistan,' Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said in a press statement on Wednesday. 'Talks for ceasing military action happened directly between India and Pakistan through existing military channels, and on the insistence of Pakistan. Prime Minister Modi emphasised that India has not accepted mediation in the past and will never do,' he said. Misri said the two leaders spoke over the phone late on Tuesday on Trump's insistence after the two leaders were unable to meet on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada, which Modi attended as a guest. The call lasted 35 minutes. Trump had said last month that the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours agreed to the ceasefire after talks mediated by the US, and that the hostilities ended after he urged the countries to focus on trade instead of war. There was no immediate comment from the White House on the Modi-Trump call. Pakistan has previously said the ceasefire was agreed after its military returned a call the Indian military had initiated on May 7. In an interview with Al Jazeera in May, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar rejected claims that Washington mediated the truce and insisted Islamabad acted independently. The conflict between India and Pakistan was triggered by an April 22 attack in Pahalgam, in Indian-administered Kashmir, in which 26 civilians, almost all tourists, were killed. India blamed armed groups allegedly backed by Pakistan, a charge Islamabad denied. On May 7, India launched missile strikes at multiple sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Over the next three days, the two countries exchanged artillery and air raids, hitting each other's airbases. Pakistan said at least 51 people, including 11 soldiers and several children, were killed in Indian attacks. India's military said at least five members of the armed forces were killed in Operation Sindoor, under which it launched the cross-border strikes. Misri said Trump expressed his support for India's fight against 'terrorism' and that Modi told him Operation Sindoor was still on.
