Amid growing concerns over water scarcity in Pakistan, Senator Syed Ali Zafar has urged the Shahbaz Sharif-led government to “defuse” the “water bomb” after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
“The Indus Basin is our lifeline,” Zafar said, adding, “This is like a water bomb hanging over us — we have to defuse it.”
Addressing the Senate, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senator warned of severe consequences for the country if the issue is not resolved. “If we don’t solve this water crisis now, we could die of hunger.”
Water bomb… pic.twitter.com/IvEHEvOWAg
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) May 23, 2025
Zafar further emphasized that one out of every ten people depends on water from the Indus River system and that 90 per cent of Pakistan’s crops rely on it.
“According to statistics, 90% of our crops depend on this water. All our power projects and dams are built on this water. That’s why we must understand that this is like a water bomb hanging over us — we have to defuse it, we have to resolve it,” he said.
India’s decision to suspend the IWT came after the Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 people.