The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, which devised a water-sharing formula between Pakistan and India, was a high mark of diplomacy between the two countries, showing that they could put their enmity aside in a mutually-beneficial manner. Even though the treaty has come under strain in recent years, it still remains the best mechanism for resolving water disputes since the World Bank and the International Court of Arbitration can step in if the two countries are unable to come to a resolution. This is why it is worrying that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to suspend the meeting of the Indus Water Commission in response to the Uri attack. Some in his hawkish government are even suggesting abandoning the treaty altogether and depriving Pakistan of water from the Indus River and its tributaries. Blockading Pakistan and starving it of water would be nothing less than an act of war and it is one India should not even consider for a second. Even keeping more water than the treaty permits has the potential to spark a humanitarian disaster since the rivers are drier than they used to be. That Modi’s threat is a purely political gambit was shown when he suggested that it might revive construction of the Tulbul project in Indian-occupied Kashmir, which was suspended by India in 1987 after Pakistani objections that its share of water would be depleted. This is Modi’s way of showing that India is looking after the interests of Kashmiris even as it continues to slaughter them. Modi said to Pakistan that “blood and water cannot flow together” even as he pretends to want to give more water to Indian-occupied Kashmir without ending the bloodshed there. Another problem with the statement is, of course, that blood and water have nothing to do with each other. The Indus Waters Treaty was agreed on in 1960 and has withstood three armed conflicts between Pakistan and India. The water treaty survived the 1965, 1971 wars and 1999 Kargil standoff. The Modi government’s use of the treaty shows its willingness to go beyond what previous Indian governments have done.
Pakistan’s response has been measured – with Sartaj Aziz intending to approach the International Court of Justice if India violates the treaty. In the immediate future, it would be impossible for India to stop the flow of water to Pakistan but it could ramp up construction of dams to store more water. If India does weaponise water in that way, it should be immediately shot down by the World Bank, and would surely invite a response from China. India has been trying to negotiate an agreement with China for a steady supply of water from the Yarlung Zangbo River, which flows into the state of Assam. Should India show it is willing to use a basic human necessity as a tool of warcraft, no one will trust it again. The Indus Waters Treaty has survived the test of time. Bringing it into the current standoff is a new low for relations between the two countries and shows Modi to be the extremist he is. But even he should have the sense to stop this posturing.
Pakistan: time to put one’s own house in order?: edit in Daily Times, Sept 28, 2016
While speaking at a conference of Chiefs of Staffs of the Armed Forces being held under auspices of US CENTCOM BERLIN in Germany, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif has accused the Indian intelligence Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) of spilling blood of innocent people through indirect strategy as he highlighted the challenges posed by the porous border that Pakistan shares with war-ravaged Afghanistan. India and its intelligence agency have been directly held responsible for all the prevailing ills in Pakistan while ignoring the fact that not a great deal of effort has been made on governmental level to mitigate the sense of deprivation among a large number of countrymen. Blaming others alone will not solve the issue. Pakistani authorities need to put their own house in order to deal with the scourge of militancy, anarchy and terrorism in Pakistan.
Pause and ponder on the issue with a different outlook. Why does resentment exist in volatile regions of Pakistan particularly in Balochistan? Why do external forces win local support? Why do certain sections in the Baloch nation talk about freedom and provincial autonomy? The answers of to these questions are not very difficult. There is a history of abuse of rights in Balochistan. The sense of deprivation prompts them to stand up against the state and wage a war for their rights. While all disturbances and revolts are attributed to ‘foreign’ hands’, the centre never ventures to ponder on what makes Balochistan a hotbed for such anarchy. A cursory look instantly reveals that it has been an acute state of injustice, provincial inequality and continuous military repression that has pushed Pakistan’s largest province to the brink of rebellion. An average Baloch only calls for provision of basic rights. The average Baloch wants schools, hospitals and infrastructure development. Above everything else, the Baloch want the Center to grant provincial autonomy and stop meddling with local politics.
Despite the fact that Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest province with untapped resources of mineral wealth like copper and natural gas deposits, yet it is the most backward province in the country. The sad fact is that while the entire country benefits from these resources, the Baloch themselves are deprived of incentives related to these minerals. Out of Balochistan’s 26 districts, only four are supplied with natural gas.
In these lines, the mentioning of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) will not be out of context. As a result of discriminatory policies of the state, the formation of BLA was inevitable, which is now orchestrating a murder campaign against Punjabis who incidentally enter Balochistan for job or other purposes.
Unless the establishment and the Centre review their policies, there will be no end to hostilities in the region. Self-correction is the need of the hour. If Pakistani authorities themselves take action against the abuse of rights, no external force can do anything to exploit local people. Pakistan has witnessed the Dhaka debacle while turmoil in Karachi has not ended yet due to discriminatory policies of the state towards its people. In order to avert future national tragedies, the state has to do deep introspection and self-analyses for rectifying all faults that caused crises in the past.http://dailytimes.com.pk/editorial/28-Sep-16/pakistan-time-to-put-ones-own-house-in-order
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