- As you are aware, the deep state of Pakistan’s military establishment that largely controls the key civilian administration there has a single-point agenda of fomenting trouble for India. Since independence, Pakistan has persistently undertaken every possible nefarious and dastardly activity, including the most heinous terrorism, to not only fan trouble in the region but also rake up the issue of Kashmir to justify those horrendous acts. That Pakistan has failed spectacularly to evince interest among the international community is another matter altogether as the world is well aware of the extensive terror factories nurtured by the failed state. India has moved on and is among the top five economically strong nations, but where does Pakistan stand today?
PC: freepik
- Despite standing on the precipice of disaster economically, Pakistan still trying to corner India at every available opportunity shows how the nation simply refuses to draw lessons to exhibit maturity. Look for instance how the crucial shared water resources between the two countries are being attempted by Pakistan to stonewall. As reported, India has issued a notice of modification for the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan, and with good reason. Note that IWT is one of the few major treaties between the two neighbours and has stood for more than 60 years. But since 2015, Pakistan has been trying to subvert it, including by persistently raising objections regarding India’s Kishenganga and Ratle hydropower projects in Jammu and Kashmir.
- While the projects are on the Chenab and Jhelum, for which Pakistan has unrestricted use under IWT, the treaty also allows India to use these rivers in non-consumptive ways. Remember, how Pakistan had taken its objections to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2010. But the court ruled that Kishenganga was a run-of-the-river project permitted under IWT. The same opinion was reiterated by the World Bank – also a party to IWT – in 2017. Nonetheless, Pakistan first unilaterally insisted on the appointment of a neutral expert and then switched to demanding a court arbitration to adjudicate its objections, in contravention of IWT’s graded dispute settlement mechanism. Did somebody say how foolhardy Pakistan can be? You bet it.
PC: freepik
- At the heart of Pakistan’s objections is the fictitious claim that India is using river waters as a hybrid warfare tool. A far-fetched and illusionary objection by any stretch of the imagination. Plus, it complains that given India’s international standing, Pakistan can hardly expect a fair hearing from the international community. This kind of schizophrenic thinking is precisely the reason Pakistan finds itself in its present mess. We know how last year’s devastating floods, the burgeoning inflation, and forex crises, and the new terror wave launched by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan are all matter that Pakistan’s leadership ought to prioritise. Sadly, Pakistan’s deep state remains fixated on India and Kashmir. Move on Pakistan for your own sake.
