Indus Water Treaty: Did India cause Pakistan floods? Former Pak envoy accuses New Delhi of ‘weaponizing’ water, claims…

Islamabad claims the information shared by India was insufficient and not shared through channels established under the Indus Water Treaty, triggering the Pakistan floods.

Pakistan floods: Pakistan has been ravaged by severe floods caused by incessant monsoon rains that have left major rivers in spate, killing hundreds of people and affecting millions across the country.

While flooding is a common phenomenon in both India and Pakistan during the monsoon season, a former Pakistani diplomat has alleged that New Delhi has weaponized water, and intentionally caused floods in the neighboring country after the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty.

What did the ex-Pakistan envoy claim?

Abdul Basit, the former Pakistan High Commissioner to India, has accused New Delhi of  ‘weaponizing’ water by suspending the Indus Water Treaty, and alleged that India “deliberately ” released stored water in large quantities to create a flood-like situation in Pakistan.

“It appears that India deliberately stored water and released it in huge quantities to cause massive damage to Pakistan. The weaponisation of water and its use as a tool of aggression must be condemned, although climate change has also played a role. Had India cooperated with Pakistan under the Indus Water Treaty to deal with this crisis, the scale of devastation could have been reduced,” Basit alleged.

Did India share water data with Pakistan?

Notably, India has rejected the allegations, stating that it had already sent the flood-related information about the rivers flowing through both countries via its High Commission. Pakistan claims the information wasn’t sent via the Indus Water Treaty channels, and was limited in nature, which made it difficult to estimate the exact time and intensity of the impending floods.

According to Islamabad, India had issued flood warnings for the Tawi and Sutlej rivers for this year’s monsoon, but the information was sent through Indian High Commission in Islamabad, not the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC). “The warnings were very limited, often containing nothing more than a “high flood” classification, leaving Pakistani authorities to guess at the magnitude and timing of flooding,” it claimed.

Basit claimed that India’s decision to report the floods through diplomatic channels had three messages  “First, to Indians, it signaled that India would not show any flexibility on the suspension of the the Indus Waters Treaty. Second, to Pakistan, it sent a message that its pressure to revive the treaty would be ineffective. Third, to the world, it showed that India had acted on humanitarian grounds, demonstrating a humane and considerate side despite existing tensions,” he alleged.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Large of parts of Pakistan have been affected by severe floods due to heavy rains.
• Former Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit has accused India of ‘weaponizing’ water.
• Pakistan claims the information shared by India was insufficient and not shared through channels established under the Indus Water Treaty.
• India suspended the Indus Water Treaty following the Pahalgam attack in April this year.

Basit’s remarks come amid heavy floods that have wreaked havoc in parts of Pakistan, especially in the Narowal district in Punjab province, where a large chunk of population have been evacuated.