Indian Projects on Chenab River Could Pose a Strategic Challenge to Pakistan: Chairman WAPDA

(Digital Itla) The Chairman of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Lieutenant General (Retd) Muhammad Saeed, has warned that India's unilateral decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) has become a severe strategic challenge to Pakistan's long-term water security, food, energy, and national economy.

In an article published in a local English newspaper, the WAPDA Chairman stated that the treaty has been one of the world's most successful international water agreements for the past 65 years, providing a solid foundation for Pakistan's guaranteed water supply. Thanks to this treaty, Pakistan established the Indus Basin Irrigation System (IBIS)—the world's largest integrated irrigation network—which irrigates nearly 35 million acres of agricultural land and supports over 90% of the country's food production.

According to Lieutenant General (Retd) Muhammad Saeed, India's unilateral suspension of the treaty in May 2025 violates international law. India has accelerated new projects on western rivers and stopped sharing crucial hydrological data, severely impacting Pakistan's flood forecasting and water planning capabilities. He emphasized that Pakistan's primary concern is not just a single dam, but India's growing capacity to control river flows upstream, posing an existential threat to Pakistan as a lower riparian state.