Pakistan’s climate change minister Musadik Malik has issued a fresh warning to India over the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, saying, “It has already been declared that whoever touches our water, their hands would be cut off.” His remarks come as New Delhi continues to keep the treaty in abeyance following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.The video of the minister, broadcoast on Pakistani channel ARY news, was shared widely on social media.Moreover, the neighbouring nation’s information minister Attaullah Tarar, without naming Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly, said: “There is a tap being controlled by the prime minister of a neighbouring country. He says he will not let even a drop of water flow into Pakistan,” Dawn quoted him saying. He added that the treaty cannot be “unilaterally” revoked by one nation.Last year, PM Modi had declared that “terror and talks cannot go together; water and blood cannot flow together.”Defence minister Rajnath Singh recently made it clear that India had no intention of softening its stance.“After the Pahalgam terror attack, by suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, we said that those whose tears have dried up should not expect water from us. We will not let the waters of the Sindhu reach the patrons of terrorists and enemies of humanity,” he said.Pakistan is facing a deepening water crisis that is hitting its key agricultural regions. Water shortages across Sindh and parts of Balochistan have intensified, raising fears of what local officials and farmers have described as an “economic massacre” as irrigation supplies dwindle.According to Dawn, the crisis is most evident around the Sukkur Barrage—one of Pakistan’s largest irrigation hubs on the Indus river—which supports millions of acres of farmland across Sindh and parts of Balochistan. Canal water shortages have reached critical levels, with deficits of 64.1% in the North West Canal, 38% in the Rice Canal and 82% in the Dadu Canal, threatening crops, livelihoods and the regional economy. The situation has been further aggravated by allegations of excessive upstream withdrawals and unequal water distribution, with Sindh accusing Punjab of drawing more water than its allocated share while downstream areas continue to bear the brunt of the shortages.
