Islamabad: Dr Kashif Majeed Salik, Research Fellow at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) and a water and agriculture policy expert, has said that India cannot unilaterally stop or divert Pakistan’s share of water under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), and that using water as a weapon carries serious consequences for regional peace and stability.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Dr Kashif Majeed Salik in a media interview in Islamabad said India is pursuing hydropower projects and proposed tunnel infrastructure on the western rivers, but any diversion of Pakistan’s allocated waters would not be permissible under the Indus Waters Treaty.
He said that stopping or diverting another country’s water is a grave violation, noting that under the Indus Waters Treaty, India is permitted limited use of the western rivers—Indus, Jhelum and Chenab—for hydropower generation and restricted irrigation. However, it cannot legally divert these rivers in a manner that deprives Pakistan of its allocated share.
Dr Kashif Majeed Salik described the IWT as one of the world’s most successful and legally binding water-sharing accords that cannot be revoked unilaterally.
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